Submitting an application to an employer is both exciting and nerve wracking. One way to heighten your chances of landing an interview is through following up. More than half of managers expect follows up, unless when they explicitly state you shouldn’t follow up. Once you’ve decided on what method you’ll use, this article will show you how to follow up after an application the right way.
What to Do to Follow Up?
About 43% of managers prefer email follow ups, while 39% of them prefer phone calls. With emails, your message could get lost – especially if the manager has an aggressive anti-spam software or gets swamped with emails on a daily basis. Whichever method you decide, you need to keep the message direct, short and polite.
You also don’t want to contact them too soon. Unless otherwise stated, the ideal time frame between resume submission and follow up should be not less than one week, and not more than three weeks. Bristol Associates mentions that the second week is always best.
How to Follow Up After An Application
- Do You Know Someone On The Inside?
The first thing you want to do during a follow up is to check your contact list, in case you know someone that’s working there. If you know someone, have them check with the hiring manager or human resources on your behalf.
- Look For Hiring Manager’s Contact Details
If the email and phone numbers are provided on the job description, your follow up is half way solved. Otherwise, do your research. Check the company’s site and even call the front desk and ask for the information.
- Send A Follow Up Email
Your email should:
- Be short, polite and precise
- Have a very clear subject (e.g. Follow Up On… (job app description))
- Briefly state your interest and reiterate why you’re a suitable candidate.
Lastly, cross check and send. Note, include your phone number before sending! There is also a more traditional route of writing a handwritten follow up card. So grab your favorite fountain pen and make your move.
- Follow Up Call
It’s recommended that you do not call immediately after sending an email. When calling the hiring manager:
- Introduce yourself, and ask them if now’s a convenient time to talk. Otherwise you’d be glad to call them some other time (don’t leave it open ended, fix a specific time).
- While speaking with them, re-introduce yourself and state that this is a follow up call for a job application. Essentially, restate what you wrote in your follow up email.
- Keep Applying
Don’t just rely on that one application. For all you know, they could have filled in the post already. Also, don’t contact them endlessly, especially if they don’t get back to you after your follow up – there are more companies out there.
Looking for ways to increase your chances of landing that job? Follow ups are extremely important to managers, since they show that you care about the position and reminds them of you. This article went over how to follow up after an application, whether that be through email or phone to help you get an interview.