How to Follow Up After You Apply for a Job

Silence after an application can feel awful. A short, polite follow-up can help without being pushy. Here's when to send it, what to put in it, and an email you can adapt.

Follow-Up Manners

In UN recruitment, applications can disappear into a portal for months without any message. Outside the UN, hiring moves faster, so a short, polite follow-up shows initiative and confirms that your application arrived. It also gives a busy recruiter a second chance to notice you. (Most likely they aren't ignoring you. They're just busy.)

When to Send It

Career sites disagree on timing. Some say wait a few days, others say one to two weeks. 7 to 10 days after you apply is a safe middle. If the job posting gives a timeline, wait until that date has passed before you write. Many guides suggest a weekday morning, Tuesday to Thursday. Send your email to a named person if you can find one. If you can't, 'Dear Hiring Team' is fine. Email is the safest way to follow up, so please don't call or show up in person unless the employer invites you to.

An Example Follow-Up Email

Subject: Following up on my application for [Job Title]

Dear [Hiring Manager / Recruiter Name],

I applied for the [Job Title] role on [Date], and I wanted to check in. I'm still very excited about it, especially because of [one specific thing about the organization, such as a project or a goal you read about].

I think I could help with [a need from the job ad]. I've managed multi-donor emergency programs across East Africa, so I know how to keep complex work moving when conditions change.

Could you tell me where things stand, or when you expect to make a decision? I'm happy to send anything else that would help, such as references or work samples.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Phone Number] | [Email Address] | [LinkedIn Profile Link]

Make It Yours

A copy-and-paste email is easy to spot, and recruiters ignore it. Two small changes make yours feel personal. First, replace the first bracket with something real and specific about the organization. Second, replace the second bracket with a need from the job ad, and swap my example result for one of your own that matches it. Then read the email out loud before you send it. If it sounds like a person wrote it, you're ready.

What to Avoid

• Don't pressure. Skip lines like 'I need an answer soon' or 'I have another offer.'
• Don't oversell. Calling yourself 'the ideal candidate' doesn't help. One clear result does.
• Don't write a long email. Four short paragraphs is plenty.
• Don't skip the proofreading. A typo in a follow-up email is a very loud typo.
• If they reply, answer quickly.

When to Stop

If nobody replies after two follow-ups, about one to two weeks apart, close the file and put your energy into opportunities that are active. It isn't personal. It's usually about timing.