How to Follow Up on a Job Application

How to Follow Up on a Job Application How to Follow Up on a Job ApplicationItching to follow up on a job application? Do it the right way.You finally found a job posting that looks like the perfect fit. You filled out the application, paying close attention to every little detail. Then you crafted a brilliant cover letter, wrapped it all in a bow, and sent it off to the hiring company.And then you wait. After that, you wait some more.When you find a job that really gets you excited, its hard to sit back and wait for a response. Have you already been ruled out? How long will you have to wait? Did they even get your resume? You want to get in touch with someone and ask, but can you do that without being a pest?Yes, you can By following a few basic rules, you can follow up without annoying most hiring managers and possibly even get your name to the top of their list. If youve found yourself up at night wondering how to tackle this properly, heres are some tips to help you follow up on a job application.First things first...When considering whether to follow up on a job application, pay close attention to the original job posting. If they included a leide like No phone calls, please or any other phrasing that discourages follow-ups, play by their rules. If they are making the specific effort to get that message across, you wont win any points by ignoring it. In fact, youll probably take yourself out of the running for the job.However, if the job posting includes a phone number or emaille address, consider that an open invitation for a simple follow-up, like an email.Who do you contact?If youre going to contact the company for a follow-up, youll want to make certain that you are connecting with the right person and addressing them by name. The company could make it easy by having that information on the job posting, but thats elend all that likely. However, it doesnt take too much time or effort to find out who you should be addressing with your follow-up email or c all.Check out the companys LinkedIn page. Is there someone in charge of personnel or recruiting? Do you have any other contacts at this business who you know? If so, reach out and ask questions about the position. You may even end up with an inside champion who could help your cause.If you cant find out any other way, simply dial up the companys reception desk and ask the person who answers. Theyll likely have the information you need.How long should you wait?There is no absolute answer here different hiring managers may have different thoughts on this. However, if you send in your application and have not heard anything for seven to 10 days, youre in safe territory. You want to give them enough time to look through the applications, but not wait so long with a follow-up email or call that youve missed your chance.If you found the job listing online, keep an eye on it. If the job posting is still out there, they probably havent moved on the position yet. Once its gone, thats how yo u know they are starting to process things.How should you contact them?In todays technology-driven business world, a follow-up email is your safest bet. An email sent directly to the person hiring for the job can get you noticed without disrupting the persons day. Yes, you do risk disappearing into a spam folder, but even that is preferable to not following up at all.Some people dont mind a quick phone call following up on a job application. Others dont want to talk to someone they dont know and feel that a phone call is too intrusive. Unless you see a phone number displayed on the job listing, email is a safer bet.What about an attention-grabbing greeting card? Risky. Some people may love it. Its out of the box and it does stand out. Theres a good chance, though, that it will come across as gimmicky. The same goes for any sort of gifts.Related These Free emaille Templates Could Change Your CareerWhat should you say?Your goal with following up on a job application should be to get y our name in front of the hiring managers eyes and express your interest in the job. In your follow-up email, introduce yourself and state that you have applied for the position and are very interested in the job.Heres where you can sell yourself a little. Take one or two sentences to tell them why you think you would excel at this position and with their company. The key is to sound enthusiastic but not desperate. Whats the difference? Enthusiasm shows just how much you are interested in this job because you would be a great fit. Desperation shows how badly you need a job. Its a big difference and hiring managers can tell.Invite them to contact you or bring you in for an interview, and be sure to make it friendly and relaxed. Even though you want them to respond and tell you where they are in the hiring process, you arent in a position to make demands.When following up, keep it concise. Whether youre on the phone or sending an email, you dont want to eat up much of their time. Short , sweet, and to the point theyll appreciate that.When should you follow up again?Never. It sounds a bit blunt, but the reality is that if you try to contact a hiring manager more than once to follow up on your application, youre hurting yourself. You may think the persistence will impress them, but dont count on it. You are in real danger of coming across as needy and annoying.What else can you do?Dig into the companys social media. Interact on Twitter or Facebook to keep your name in front of them. Stick to the topics at hand, though. If they tweet about a local event, your reply should also be about the event. This is not the place to mention that youve applied for a job there.Does the company or any of its employees have a blog? Check it out and give some thoughtful feedback. Remember, you want to present yourself as entertaining and engaged thats what social media is all about.RelatedSocial Networking How to Connect With Potential Employers OnlineConclusionJob hunting can be v ery stressful filling out forms, digging through your own work history, and playing the waiting game gets old fast. Unfortunately, theres no magic trick to make companies look at your application and reply right away, so keep applying to multiple jobs and keep track of when you send in your materials. Then, when the time is right, create a follow-up plan that can help you jump to the top of the resume pile.Following up on a job application can give you a huge boost, but only if you do it right. Beware of being too persistent or pushy or you may hurt your chances of landing the gig. But when you follow up thoughtfully, you can get the answers you need and make a great impression as well.Click on the following link for more resume advice.Will your resume stand out to a hiring manager? Find out with a free resume critique.Recommended Reading10 Best Practices for Email Etiquette at WorkAvoid These Common and Costly bewerberinterview Follow-Up Mistakes7 Ways You Try Too Hard in Job Appl icationsRelated Articles