I applied. Now what?

Here are some pro tips for keeping track of your applications and creating plans for follow-up.

Track Your Applications

Coming up with your own way to track your applications will help you keep track of application dates, requirements, and be prepared for follow-up communication. The last thing you want after putting in tons of effort into a job search is to receive a call from a person or position that you don’t even remember applying to.

Here are some ideas for how to keep track of the jobs that you’ve applied to:

• Download our Job Application Tracker in Microsoft Excel
• Check out this article and Google sheet template from the muse: This Trackers is Exactly What You Need to Track Everything in Your Job Search
• Save job postings that you plan to apply to in your job search platforms (Handshake, indeed, LinkedIn, etc.) to refer back to
• Keep a note in your phone:

Follow Up with Recruiters

Some companies have listed recruiters that you can message on Handshake to follow up with after submitting your application. Following up with these recruiters can draw their attention to your application if it has not already been reviewed by the company.

How to follow up with a recruiter:

1. Wait two weeks after submitting your application before taking action.
2. Send the recruiter a message via Handshake or LinkedIn to let them know that you submitted your resume and cover letter for the position you are applying to
3. Reiterate your interest and why you would be a good candidate for the position.
4. End by thanking the recruiter for their time and attention.
5. Provide your contact information so that the recruiter can easily contact you.

Ask for Feedback

No one enjoys receiving those “unfortunately, we’ve decided to move forward with another candidate” messages after taking time to carefully craft an application. But one thing you can do is use that message as an opportunity to ask for feedback, thank them for their consideration, or express interest for similar roles in the future.

If you receive a message from a recruiter or someone from the hiring team–not one of those “no-reply@email.com” addresses–you can always ask for feedback!

Here’s an example of an email request for feedback:

Sending these messages has two benefits: it invites the opportunity to receive feedback from someone in the organization that makes hiring decisions and shows an added level of personalization to your application that hopefully keeps your name in mind for future positions.