How To Write a Follow Up Email (With Template and Example)

After sending a job application to an employer, you may have to wait until they can review it to get a response. If they take longer than a week to respond, you can consider emailing a reminder. By understanding how to respond when you do not hear back from an employer or a job recruiter about your job application, you can display your professionalism and improve your chances of getting the job. In this article, we share how to write a follow up email and how to follow up professionally, plus provide an email template and example.

Related: How To Ask About Your Job Application Status After An Interview

What Is A Follow Up Email?

A follow up email is a reminder message that you can send to the recipient of your previous email if you do not receive a response from them. You can also send a follow up email after a business phone call to thank them and provide them with your professional information and contact details. Often, follow up emails can be quick reminders to employers or job recruiters about the job application you sent earlier and serve to reiterate your interest in and your suitability for the position.

Related: Job Application Email: Writing Tips and Examples

Components Of A Follow-Up Email

You can include the following components in your follow up email:

• Headline: The headline goes in the subject line and can inform the email recipient of the purpose of your message. It should be to the point and include your name and the job position to which you applied.

• Opening salutation: In professional correspondence, it is customary to begin a formal email with an opening salutation like Dear and follow that with the name or surname of the email recipient.

• Reminder: The first line of the email message should mention that the email is a reminder of the earlier message you sent and provide the context details. That can make it easier for the email recipient to understand the intent of your writing.

• Purpose: In the next paragraph, you can reiterate your original email's purpose by highlighting your qualifications, skills and experience. That can remind the email recipient of your capabilities and give them a reason to consider your proposal.

• Call to action: You can end your email with a call to action that states clearly what you expect to achieve with the follow up email. If it is a follow up to a job application that you are sending to a job recruiter or an employer, you can inquire about setting up an interview.

• Closing Salutation: It is polite to end the email with a respectful closing salutation. It can be a phrase like Sincerely, With Regards or Thank you for your consideration.

• Name and contact: Include your full name and telephone number after the closing salutation to make it convenient for the email recipient to get in touch with you.

Related: How To Write a Formal Email (With Steps and Example)

How To Write A Follow Up Email After No Response?

There is no set rule concerning how to send a follow up email after receiving no response to your first message. However, it is best to abide by basic email etiquette. You can do the following to follow up professionally:

1. Be patient. Wait for at least a week after sending your original email to inquire about the status of your job application. Give the job recruiter or employer time to review your application, consider your qualifications and get back to you with their response.

2. Send a brief message. If you do not hear back from the job recruiter or employer in a week, send a brief follow up email to remind them of your earlier job application.

3. Send a second follow up email. The employer or job recruiter may need a few days to respond to your follow-up message. Give them some more time before following up with a second email.

Related: How To Write An Email To HR (With Template And Examples)

How Do You Follow Up Professionally?

You can follow up professionally in the following ways:

• Send a follow up message. One of the best ways to follow up professionally about a job application or a meeting about a job is to send a concise follow up email to the job recruiter or employer a few days later.

• Include a reminder of the previous conversation. The email should remind the job recruiter or employer about the job application you sent or the phone call or personal meeting you had with them regarding the available job.

• Maintain a professional tone. It is essential to be polite and professional in your writing and keep the focus of the email on the specific follow up topic.

• Be respectful and empathetic. Job recruiters and employers may have busy schedules, and it is important to respect their time and be empathic in your approach.

Related: Essential Email Etiquette Rules for Workplace

How To Write A Follow Up Email

You can write a follow up email by taking these steps:

1. Allow a waiting period

The email recipient may have to go through plenty of email correspondence, and they may not find it possible to respond immediately to each email sender. It is advisable to wait for a short period before you send a follow-up message. You might want to wait for at least three or five days after sending your original email. The exception to this can be if they ask you to send an immediate follow up email after a business phone call.

2. Write a clear subject line

The subject line should be clear and succinct. That can get the immediate attention of the email recipient. You also want them to understand at once why you are writing to them. It may help to send a follow up email with a reiteration of your original email subject line.

3. Keep the email brief

A brief email is easy to scan through and is timesaving. If your email recipient is a busy individual, they may appreciate a short message with a clear purpose. It may also help to forward a copy of the original email, since that can remind them of the topic of your earlier email or verbal conversation.

4. Include a call to action

Including a call to action at the end of your email can serve as a gentle reminder to the email recipient to take action and get back to you. It is essential to be polite and show empathy. You can say, for instance, that you understand that they might have a busy schedule.

Related: Written Communication Skills: Definitions and Examples

Follow Up Email Template

You can use this follow up email template as a reference when writing a follow-up message to an employer:

Subject: [Follow Up on Your Name - Job Application]

Dear [Name of employer]

[Opening]

This is regarding the resume I sent to you on [date you sent your job application]. I have not received a response yet, so I thought I might follow up on email.

As I mentioned in my previous email, I am a [your profession] with [number of years] experience in [your skill set]. My professional experience includes [mention type of work done or milestones achieved in previous jobs].

I hope you consider my application and we can discuss this opportunity further.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Closing]

[Your full name]

Follow Up Email Example

The following sample follow up email may help you to compose your message after submitting a job application:

Subject: Follow up on Santosh Apte - Application for Product Manager position

Dear Mr. Reddy,

I hope you are well.

This is regarding the job application that I sent in response to your company's job advertisement on Indeed. Since I have yet to receive a response from your end, I decided to send a follow up message.

I am a product manager with five years of industry experience with a high-volume software development company. My work experience includes successfully leading three teams from the product planning stage to the product launch stage and increasing work process efficiency by 30%.

I understand you might be busy, but I hope it will be possible to arrange an interview to discuss my qualifications and experience in further detail.

I hope to hear from you soon.

With regards,

Santosh Apte

9888877766

Why Are Follow-Up Emails Important?

Knowing how to write a follow up email is important for the following reasons:

• A follow up email can serve as a gentle reminder to the email recipient of any prior correspondence or conversation you may have had with them.

• A follow up email after a business phone call can remind the email recipient of who you are, what you discussed and what they may have offered or promised you.

• A follow up email can be useful for thanking the email recipient for the time and attention they gave you previously.

• A follow up email can help convince the recipient that you are interested in taking your previous discussion forward.

• If the recipient overlooked or accidentally deleted your previous email, the follow-up message can bring you to their attention and enable them to contact you.

• A follow up email can enable you to remind the recipient of an upcoming event or a pending issue.