# How to follow up on a job application (with examples) Source: https://glide.work/guides/how-to-follow-up-on-a-job-application Published: 2026-11-13 Updated: 2026-11-13 [Guides](https://glide.work/guides) # How to follow up on a job application (with examples) By [Shubhankar Kahali](https://glide.work/company) Reviewed 13 November 2026 3 min read The short answer Follow up once, about a week after applying, with a short message to a named person: the recruiter or the hiring manager. Say which role you applied for, give one specific reason you fit, and offer to send anything else. If there is no reply after a second message a week later, treat the application as closed and move on. Most applications are never answered, and most applicants never follow up. With roughly 300 applications per hire on some hiring platforms, according to our [2026 labour market study](https://glide.work/research/the-2026-labour-market), a short, specific note to a real person is one of the few things that separates you from the pile. ## When to follow up Stage | When | How many times After applying | About a week later | Once, then once more a week on After a recruiter screen | The day after the date they gave you | Once, then once more After an interview | Thank-you the same day, then after their date | Twice at most After an offer conversation | Within the time they asked for | As agreed If the posting gives a closing date, wait until a few days after it. If it says “no calls or emails”, respect that. ## Who to write to A named person, in this order of preference: - **The recruiter** on the posting or the confirmation message. - **The hiring manager** for the team, if you can identify them. - **Someone you know at the company** who can pass your name along. A message to a careers@ mailbox is better than nothing, but only just. Finding the right person takes a few minutes on the company’s site or a professional network, and it is the step that makes the follow-up work. ## What to say Three sentences are enough: what you applied for, why you fit, what you are asking. **After applying:** > Hi [name], I applied for the [role] position on [date] and wanted to introduce myself. I’ve spent [n] years doing [the main thing the role needs], most recently [one concrete result]. I’d welcome the chance to talk, and I’m happy to send anything that would help. **Second note, a week later:** > Hi [name], a quick follow-up on my application for [role]. I remain very interested. If the position has been filled, I’d be grateful to know. Thank you for your time. **After an interview:** > Hi [name], thank you for the conversation today. I especially enjoyed hearing about [something specific]. It confirmed my interest in the role, and I look forward to the next step. For what to do when an interview is followed by silence, see [Ghosted after an interview](https://glide.work/guides/ghosted-after-an-interview). ## What not to do - **Do not send the same message to five people at one company.** They compare notes. - **Do not follow up daily.** Two messages a week apart is the limit. - **Do not paste your whole resume into the email.** One reason you fit, then stop. - **Do not sound aggrieved.** “I haven’t heard back” reads as a complaint. “I wanted to follow up” does not. - **Do not call unless the posting invites it.** ## Keeping track Following up only works if you know what you sent, to whom and when. For five applications a notebook will do. For fifty it falls apart, usually around week three. [Glide](https://glide.work/) keeps every application, reply and follow-up in one record. It reads employer replies, notices when a thread has gone quiet, finds the recruiter or hiring manager for the role and drafts the follow-up for you to send. You stay the one who decides what goes out. ## Common questions ### How long should I wait before following up on a job application? About a week after applying, or a few days after the posting’s closing date if it has one. ### Is it annoying to follow up on a job application? One short, polite message is normal and often appreciated. It becomes a nuisance when it is repeated, long or demanding. ### Should I follow up by email or phone? Email, unless the posting gives a number and invites calls. Email lets the person answer when they can and gives them your details in writing. ### What if I cannot find a contact? Reply to the application confirmation if it came from a real address, or use the company’s general careers address. Then spend the saved time on an application where you can reach a person. ## Keep reading [Ghosted after an interview: why it happens and what to do Six in ten job seekers say an employer has gone silent on them after an interview. Here is why it happens, how long to wait and what to send. 4 min read](https://glide.work/guides/ghosted-after-an-interview)[Why am I not hearing back from job applications? Most applications never get a reply. Here are the six usual reasons, from application volume to ghost jobs, and what to change so more of yours are answered. 4 min read](https://glide.work/guides/why-no-reply-to-job-applications)[How many job applications does it take to get a job? Employers now process roughly 300 applications per hire, about triple 2021. What that means for one candidate, and how to need fewer applications. 4 min read](https://glide.work/guides/how-many-job-applications-to-get-a-job) Glide is the agent on your side of hiring. See [what it does](https://glide.work/), [how it compares](https://glide.work/compare) and [the research behind it](https://glide.work/research/the-2026-labour-market). Join in ## Your invitation is waiting to be written. An invitation Glide, by invitation only You are invited. To whoever is looking for work, Every piece of hiring software was built for the company doing the hiring. Glide is the other side: an agent that works for you, from finding the role to handling what comes back. We let people in a few hundred at a time, every Friday. Leave your email and we will write the moment your spot opens. Your agent starts the same day. Shubhankar Kahali Founder of Glide Admits One person You, and the agent that works for you. Opens On a Friday New spots open every week. 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