As an applicant it is often difficult to estimate whether the recruiter to whom you have sent your CV has already gone through your candidacy or not. What should you think if you have not received an answer to your application after a week or two weeks? How long does it take to hear back after applying for an answer after your interview? There are no standard guidelines for the follow-up of an application. In most cases recruiters do not immediately respond to your email and you cannot help but guess within what period your application will be processed. Some applicants may not dare to inquire about the state of affairs for fear of appearing rude. Still, in most cases, it doesn't hurt at all. However, there is one condition: you have to do it in a professional manner. But what does that mean exactly?

Vacancies with a deadline

If there is a deadline to submit your application, please wait until two days after the expiry of this deadline before checking the status of your application. A recruiter who specifies an exact date will probably deal with all applications at once after this day. This can take some time. If you inquire about the state of affairs, you can immediately take the opportunity to once again emphasize your interest in the vacant position and to indicate why you are so suitable.

Vacancies without a deadline

If there is no deadline in the vacancy, it is best to wait at least a week before you hear from you again. You can use that week to do some research: maybe the recruiter has announced on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or a company blog that he / she is reading the incoming CVs? In the first instance, it is best to check the state of affairs via a reminder email. If you don't get a response again, you can reach for the phone. If that does not work either, try to find out by other means (for example via other people who work in that company) how far they are with the application procedure and how long it normally takes.

Spontaneous applications

If there is no vacancy at all, it is best to wait three or four working days before contacting the company a second time. In your reminder email, just ask if your original message arrived correctly. You can also briefly repeat why it would be interesting to invite you for a conversation. If you do not get an answer, you can email or call one more time, but after that it is best to focus your efforts on another potential employer.

After the conversation

If you are invited for an interview, following up the procedure will become considerably easier. At the end of the interview, the recruiter will in most cases indicate what the next steps are and when they are planned. If he does not tell you this spontaneously, do not hesitate to inquire about the application procedure yourself.

Other reaction times

The same applies to other moments in the application procedure: after a selection interview it should not be endless before you hear something. Call after one or two weeks if you have not heard anything. Call earlier if a term has been given at the end of the call, along the lines of we will call you within three days. What is a normal period within which you can expect a potential employer to let you know whether or not you are allowed to talk? Normally, you can expect a response within two weeks, unless a different term is clearly indicated in advance.

What should you not do? Van den Hoven: 'If it takes longer than indicated, you can of course call or email the recruiter for an update. But I would advise against continuing to make calls. It happens that candidates call several times a day, without answering voicemail. Some candidates also pick up the phone every day to ask if there is already an update. Try not to look too impatient. Approach the company calmly, deliberately and with concrete questions. Also try to look at your application procedure from an employer's perspective. There are plenty of reasons why procedures take a little longer, although you can always ask for them. In the end, you also put time in your application and it is very understandable, especially if you are also looking for a new job in the short term and want to switch quickly.

Even after receiving a rejection, you can consider calling afterwards. Especially if there is no or unclear motivation in the rejection letter, it is good to try to get a more personal motivation. The application code says: If, at any stage of the application procedure, the organization decides that an applicant is not eligible, he will be notified in writing as soon as possible. The rejection is motivated as much as possible. The last moment of the application procedure where you should hear something is after the employment conditions interview. All agreements and commitments are normally recorded in writing. So call if you don't receive your contract all the time.

Author's Bio: 

A dynamic professional, Sarah J has many years of valuable experience in Business Development, Sales & Marketing, & Relationship Management. She focuses on increasing revenue, profitability and growth goals by implementing end to end solution for organizations. When not in the office you will find her lounging around the beachside.