How to Follow Up With a Letter After an Application

Write a follow-up letter

A follow-up letter after a job application can be a useful job hunting tool. The letter can call the hiring manager's attention to your application and make you stand out from the crowd. The right letter can give you that extra edge, but make sure you follow appropriate business etiquette when sending the letter.

Instructions

1. Wait the appropriate length of time after sending an application. Eight to ten days is usually considered appropriate since the application has had time to be received and reviewed in that period of time.

2. Reference the application. You want to remind the reader that you already applied and that your application is pending review. A simple statement such as "I wanted to follow up on my application of January 15, 2010, for the position of ..." is sufficient to remind the potential employer who you are and why you are writing.

3. Consider using a different communications medium. For example, if you applied online, consider following up via postal mail. This can make you stand out from the crowd since many other applicants won't bother to take the trouble of sending a hard-copy follow-up.

4. Be brief and to the point in your letter. You do not want to restate everything in your original application or write a long letter that no one will read. Express your continued interest in the position, write a few lines about why you feel that you are best for the position, and suggest that they reference your outstanding application and resume for further details about all you have to offer the company.

5. Make specific plans to follow up further. You can, for example, close your letter by saying that you intend to follow up with a phone call. When you mention your plans to follow up, be specific and mention a date and time. This will help you to ensure you actually follow up and provide the hiring manager with a specific time when he expects to hear from you again. Allow a sufficient amount of time---again at least a week or 10 days---before your further follow-up. You want to be persistent, but you also don't want to be pushy and over-do it by calling every day.

References

• Quintessential Careers: Follow Up All Job Leads
• Career Services at Virginia Tech: Thank You/Follow-Up Letters