Real examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications example of a follow up email after submitting a job application

Looking for real, usable examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications example of a follow up email after submitting a job application? You are not alone. Most people obsess over their resume and cover letter, hit submit, and then freeze when it is time to send a follow up email. What do you say? How long should it be? Are you being persistent or annoying? Here is the good news: strong writing and communication skills do not mean sounding stiff or robotic. They mean sounding clear, respectful, and confident. In this guide, I will walk you through practical email wording you can actually copy, tweak, and send. We will connect your resume and cover letter story to your follow up message so everything feels consistent, not random. By the end, you will have several concrete examples of how to follow up after submitting a job application, plus simple templates you can reuse for different roles and industries.
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Best examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications example of a follow up email after submitting a job application

Let us start with what you really want: words you can steal.

Picture this: you spent an evening tailoring your resume and cover letter, hit submit, and now your application is sitting in a crowded inbox. The people who get noticed are not always the most qualified. Often, they are the ones who follow up clearly and professionally.

Here is a simple, clean example of a follow up email after submitting a job application that works well for most professional roles:

Subject: Application Follow Up - Marketing Coordinator - Jordan Lee

Hi [Hiring Manager Name],

I hope you are doing well. I recently submitted my application for the Marketing Coordinator position and wanted to briefly follow up. I am very interested in this role, especially the opportunity to support your upcoming product launches and social campaigns.

With 3 years of experience managing social media content and email campaigns, I would love to contribute to your team and help grow engagement across your channels. I have attached my resume again here for convenience.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be glad to discuss how my background aligns with your needs.

Best regards,
Jordan Lee
[Phone]
[LinkedIn URL]

This is one of the best examples of writing communication that quietly shows off your skills without bragging. It is short, it references the role, it reminds them of your value, and it sounds like a real person.


Examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications that match your tone

Your follow up email should match the tone of your resume and cover letter. If your resume is crisp and professional and your cover letter is thoughtful and specific, your email should feel like the same person wrote it.

Here is a more formal example of a follow up email after submitting a job application, perfect if the company feels traditional or corporate:

Subject: Follow Up on Application - Staff Accountant

Dear Ms. Ramirez,

I hope this message finds you well. On September 10, I submitted my resume and cover letter for the Staff Accountant position listed on your careers page. I am writing to follow up and to reiterate my strong interest in the role.

My background in financial reporting and audit support, combined with my CPA certification, aligns closely with the requirements described in the posting. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your finance team.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Taylor Brooks
[Phone]
[Email]

Now compare that with a slightly more casual tone that might fit a startup or creative agency. This is another real-feeling example of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications that you can adapt:

Subject: Quick follow up - UX Designer application

Hi Alex,

Hope your week is going well. I applied for the UX Designer role last Wednesday and wanted to quickly follow up. I am very excited about the chance to work on user flows and prototypes for your mobile app.

In my current role, I have led UX projects that increased task completion rates by 18 percent, and I would love to bring that same focus on usability to your team. If it is helpful, I am happy to share a brief case study or walk through my portfolio.

Thanks again for considering my application.

Best,
Morgan
[Portfolio link]

Notice the pattern across these examples of writing communication: clear subject line, a quick reminder of who you are and what you applied for, a one sentence value highlight, and a polite close.


Example of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications for different timelines

Timing matters. A lot of people ask: when should I send a follow up email?

  • If there was no deadline and no timeline mentioned, a follow up about 7 to 10 days after submitting is reasonable.
  • If the posting listed a closing date, follow up about a week after that date.
  • If you have already had an interview, you are in thank you email territory, which is a slightly different style.

Here is an example of a follow up email after submitting a job application one week later:

Subject: Following up on Sales Representative application

Hi Mr. Patel,

I hope you are having a good week. I wanted to follow up regarding my application for the Sales Representative position, submitted on October 3.

I remain very interested in this opportunity, especially given your focus on long term client relationships. In my previous role, I consistently exceeded quarterly targets while maintaining a 95 percent client retention rate.

If you are still reviewing candidates, I would appreciate being considered for next steps. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Thank you again for your time,
Chris Nguyen

And here is what you might send if it has been 2 to 3 weeks and you have heard nothing. This is still polite, but a bit more direct.

Subject: Checking in - Project Manager application

Dear Hiring Manager,

I hope all is well. I am writing to check in on the status of my application for the Project Manager position, submitted on September 15. I understand you may still be in the review process, but I wanted to confirm that my materials were received.

I remain very interested in the role and in the opportunity to support your upcoming infrastructure projects. With 6 years of experience leading cross functional teams and delivering projects on time and within budget, I would be glad to discuss how I can contribute.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to any update you are able to share.

Best regards,
Dana Carter

These are real examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications that respect the hiring manager’s time while still advocating for yourself.


How your resume and cover letter set up your follow up email

Here is the part most people skip: your follow up email should not appear out of thin air. It should connect to the story your resume and cover letter already told.

When you write your resume and cover letter, you are doing three things:

  1. Showing you meet the basic requirements.
  2. Highlighting 2 or 3 specific strengths or results.
  3. Framing why you care about this particular company or role.

Your follow up email simply echoes those points in a shorter, friendlier format.

For example, if your cover letter emphasized your experience training new team members, your follow up might include a line like:

“As I mentioned in my application, I have trained more than 15 new hires on our CRM and sales process, and I would be excited to support onboarding on your team as well.”

That line makes your email feel connected to your earlier materials, which is exactly what good writing communication should do. It also helps the hiring manager remember your specific value, not just your name.

If you want guidance on writing the resume and cover letter side, resources from university career centers like the University of California, Berkeley Career Center provide helpful examples and structure: https://career.berkeley.edu/Tools/Resume.


Best examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications for special situations

Life is messy. Sometimes you need a follow up email that is not the standard “just checking in” note. Here are a few situations where you can adapt these examples of writing communication to fit what is actually happening.

When you were referred by someone

If a colleague or friend referred you, mention that clearly. It gives your email more context and often more weight.

Subject: Referred by Jamie Lee - Data Analyst application

Hi Ms. Ortiz,

I hope you are doing well. I recently applied for the Data Analyst position and was referred by Jamie Lee from your operations team. I wanted to follow up briefly to express my strong interest in the role.

My experience analyzing customer behavior data and building dashboards in Tableau lines up well with the position description. I would welcome the chance to discuss how I can support your analytics projects.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best,
Sam Rivera

This is a clean example of a follow up email after submitting a job application where you gently use your referral without sounding pushy.

When you noticed a new posting for a similar role

Sometimes you apply, then see a slightly different version of the same role posted later. You can reference that in your follow up.

Subject: Interest in Operations Coordinator roles

Dear Hiring Team,

I recently applied for the Operations Coordinator position and noticed that a similar role was posted this week. I wanted to follow up to confirm my continued interest in contributing to your operations team in either capacity.

My background in process improvement and vendor coordination aligns well with both descriptions, and I would be glad to be considered for any role where my skills are a fit.

Thank you again for reviewing my application.

Sincerely,
Jordan Kim

This kind of message is one of the best examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications when things change mid process.

When you already had a brief phone screen

If you had a quick phone call or screening interview and then silence, your follow up should reference that conversation.

Subject: Following up after our conversation - Customer Support role

Hi Taylor,

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me last Tuesday about the Customer Support position. I enjoyed learning more about your team and your approach to customer satisfaction.

I am writing to follow up and to share that my interest in the role remains very strong. I would be excited to bring my experience with high volume support, ticketing systems, and customer retention to your team.

Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide as you move forward with your decision.

Best regards,
Casey

This keeps things warm and professional without demanding a response.


How to sound confident, not desperate, in your follow up

The line between confident and desperate in follow up emails is thinner than people think. The wording makes all the difference.

Here are a few quick swaps that show strong writing communication:

  • Instead of: “I am just checking in to see if you got my application."
    Try: “I wanted to follow up to confirm my application was received and to reiterate my interest in the role.”

  • Instead of: “Please let me know as soon as possible if I got the job."
    Try: “I would appreciate any update you are able to share on your hiring timeline.”

  • Instead of: “I really need this job."
    Try: “I am very enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to your team.”

The best examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications always:

  • Respect the hiring manager’s time.
  • Focus on the value you bring, not your stress.
  • Use clear, direct language instead of buzzwords.

If you want to sharpen your general professional writing, many university writing centers, such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab, offer free guidance on tone and clarity: https://owl.purdue.edu.


FAQ: Real examples of follow up emails after job applications

What are some quick examples of follow up subject lines that work?

Here are a few subject lines that fit the style of the examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications above:

  • “Application Follow Up - [Job Title] - [Your Name]”
  • “Following up on [Job Title] application”
  • “Checking in - [Job Title]”
  • “Referred by [Name] - [Job Title] application”

Short, clear, and easy to search in an inbox.

How long should a follow up email be?

Aim for 5 to 8 sentences. Every example of a follow up email after submitting a job application in this article stays under about 200 words. That is long enough to remind them who you are and why you are relevant, but short enough that a busy manager will actually read it.

How many times is it appropriate to follow up?

In most cases, two follow ups are reasonable:

  1. One message about a week after applying.
  2. A second message 1 to 2 weeks after the first if there is still no response.

If you still hear nothing, it is usually best to move on and keep applying elsewhere while staying open to a later response.

Can I reuse the same follow up email template for different jobs?

Yes, as long as you customize key details: company name, job title, and one or two specific points about why you are interested. The best examples include at least one detail that proves you are not sending the same email to 20 companies.

Where can I see more real examples of professional communication?

For broader career communication tips beyond this article, you might find the following helpful:

  • General job search advice and communication tips from USA.gov: https://www.usa.gov/find-a-job
  • Career and application resources from the National Institutes of Health Office of Intramural Training & Education: https://www.training.nih.gov
  • Resume and cover letter guidance from Harvard University’s Office of Career Services: https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/resumes-cover-letters

Use the examples of writing communication resume and cover letter templates follow up emails after job applications example of a follow up email after submitting a job application here as your starting point, then adjust them so they sound like you. The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to be clear, respectful, and memorable enough that when a hiring manager is scrolling through applications, your name rings a bell - in a good way.

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