Preparing your resume and cover letter, sending them out for an opportunity you really want, and then waiting to hear back from the potential employer can be just as nerve-wracking as the job interview itself. There are many ways that you can prepare for the job interview in advance, to help bring anxiety levels down. But what can you do about the waiting period? Is it possible to shorten that waiting time by following up with hiring managers, and if so, how and when do you do it?
Following up after your job application has to be done thoughtfully and carefully. If you get it wrong, rather than shortening your waiting time for a response, you could end up killing your chances of being hired altogether. Let's go over some basic dos and don'ts for job application follow-ups that will deliver the positive results you're looking for.
For some insights on what the most effective follow-up timing and techniques are, let's look at the opinions of hiring managers themselves. The team at Robert Half surveyed over 300 Human Resources managers at Canadian companies that have 20 or more employees about job application follow-ups.
Interestingly, 100 percent of the survey respondents said that candidates should follow up after submitting their resumes for a job. That is a strong endorsement for reaching out to the employer at some point after you apply.
But when do you follow up?
Human Resources managers were also asked about the timing of follow-ups. Participants responded to the question, "How long should a job seeker wait to follow up with the hiring manager after submitting a resume?"
- The most popular response, with 43 percent of the HR professionals agreeing, was that candidates should follow up between one and two weeks.
- Another 30 percent of participants thought that candidates should follow up between two to three weeks.
- There were 20 percent of HR respondents who felt that candidates should follow up within the first week of having applied for the job.
- Eight percent said that candidates should wait three weeks or more before following up.
So, the majority – at nearly 75 percent of HR professionals – says that the ideal time to get in touch with an employer after submitting your resume is after more than a week, but before three weeks have passed.
All of the hiring professionals surveyed agree that candidates should follow up, and we've narrowed down the optimal timing. So, how do you do it?
How to follow-up after a job application
Fortunately, that same group of Canadian HR managers was asked about their preferences for follow-up methods as well. The survey participants were asked, "In your opinion, which of the following do you consider the best way for a job candidate to follow up with a hiring manager after submitting a resume?"
- The most popular method with HR pros is an email follow-up; 46 percent of respondents said this was the best strategy.
- However, the phone call option wasn't far behind; 39 percent said that this was the best choice.
- A surprising seven percent said that 'in person' was the best way to follow up. I say that this is surprising because it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which showing up in person, uninvited and unexpected, would go over well. (And if you do have an appointment to discuss the status of your application, then congrats, you've landed a job interview and already made it to the next round!)
- Two percent of employers said that following up through social media was an appropriate technique.
- Another two percent suggest that a text message could be a good strategy.
"Don't get discouraged if you haven't heard back from a company after submitting your resume," said the study authors in a media release. "Give it a week or two and then do a quick follow-up to get a sense of where they are in the hiring process, and to reiterate your enthusiasm for the position."
However, they cautioned that there is a fine line between showing your enthusiasm for the role and being pushy. Reach out to the hiring manager with a message that is positive, friendly, and brief.
Here are some dos and don'ts for getting your follow-up right
Do follow up within the first two weeks.
Do follow up by email or phone. Email is the preferred method of reaching out to hiring managers, because you can demonstrate how interested you are in the job while still respecting the employer’s time.
Do write a short, professional email and proofread it carefully. You don't want your carefully planned follow-up to backfire and actually make you look worse in the employer's eyes. See a sample follow-up email after a job application.
Do prepare a message in advance to leave on voicemail in case the person doesn't answer their phone. You want to leave a positive, professional-sounding message, and not one where you stammer over what to say at the last second.
Do reiterate your interest in the job and your top selling point.
Do ask about the next steps in the hiring process.
Don't hang up on the voicemail and call back numerous times hoping to catch the hiring manager at their desk. They could be screening their calls or see your number turn up multiple times on their call logs, which can make you appear desperate and aggressive.
Don't send multiple follow-up messages or emails. Overdoing it can be a turn-off for employers. Even sending more than one email can be too much. Megan Spurr, a hiring manager at Microsoft warns, "When I see the same applicant’s name in my inbox, I feel like they might be a little more needy than I am looking for in a candidate."
Don't show up at the workplace in person unannounced. Despite what the seven percent of HR professionals surveyed said, the in-person follow-up is a bad idea. People are busy, and no one wants to talk time out of their day for an unscheduled meeting with a candidate they haven't decided to interview yet.
Don't stop job searching. Just because you are confident in your ability to do the job and you know your resume is strong, don't give up your job search until you've actually signed a contract. Also, don't apply for other jobs at the same company you are waiting to hear back from. Your multiple applications could land on the same person's desk, making it appear as though you are just mass applying to open positions and not really serious about any of them.
It may seem awkward to reach out to a potential employer after applying for a job, but waiting around for the phone to ring can be even more stressful. Plus, all of the human resources professionals surveyed indicated that they think following up is a good idea. Just be sure to do it in a professional, respectful way. Good luck!
See also: How to follow-up after a job application (with a sample email)
