Should I follow up after applying for a job in the UK?

Yes. Following up after a job application is not only acceptable in the UK, it often makes the difference between being noticed and being overlooked. Most candidates do not follow up. A short, professional email a week after applying keeps your name in front of the recruiter and signals genuine interest rather than spray-and-pray applications.

When should I follow up after a job application?

Wait one week after the application deadline or one week after you applied if no deadline was given. Following up too soon (within 48 hours) can read as impatient. Following up after two weeks or more risks the decision already being made. One week is the right window.

What should a follow-up email after a job application say?

A good follow-up email is short: three to five sentences. State who you are and which role you applied for, express genuine interest in the role and company with one specific reason, and ask whether there is any additional information you can provide. Do not attach your CV again unless they ask for it. Do not apologise for following up.

Is it annoying to chase a job application?

One professional follow-up is not annoying. It is common practice. What frustrates recruiters is multiple messages, persistent chasing after a clear no, or a tone that reads as demanding. One email, one week after applying, written professionally, is a normal part of the job search process.

Who do I send the follow-up email to?

If you applied through a portal and have no contact details, search LinkedIn for a recruiter or HR contact at the company and email them directly if possible. If the role was posted by a named recruiter, contact that person. If you cannot find a specific contact, use a general HR or recruitment email address if the company's website lists one.

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Should I follow up after a job application?

Yes. Most candidates don't. That is exactly why you should.

June 2026 · 5 min read

Short answer

A single, well-timed follow-up email after applying is not only acceptable in the UK, it is often the thing that tips a borderline application into a conversation.

Most candidates apply and wait. A short, professional chase email a week later puts your name back in front of the recruiter at a point when most other applicants have gone quiet.

Why it works

Recruitment is busy and disorganised in ways that candidates cannot see. Inboxes fill up. Applications get buried. A recruiter who received 150 CVs in 48 hours and has had three internal meetings since then may not have got to yours yet.

A follow-up email does three things:

It puts your name back at the top. A new email in their inbox is harder to ignore than an application sitting in an ATS queue.
It signals genuine interest. Most applicants press send and forget. Showing you are still engaged and enthusiastic about this specific role distinguishes you from the volume.
It can accelerate a slow process. Many hiring processes stall at the screening stage. A nudge from a candidate can prompt a recruiter to move applications forward.

When to send it

Wait one week. Not 24 hours, not three weeks.

Following up within 48 hours reads as impatient and suggests you are not busy. Following up after two or three weeks means the shortlist is probably already formed. One week after the application deadline (or one week after you applied if no deadline was given) is the right window.

If the job listing included a stated closing date, wait until two to three days after that date before following up.

What to say

Short. Three to five sentences. No grovelling, no life story.

Subject: Follow-up: [Job Title] application, [Your Name]

Hi [Name],

I wanted to follow up on my application for the [Job Title] position, which I submitted on [date].

I'm particularly interested in this role because [one specific, genuine reason relating to the company or team]. My background in [relevant area] maps closely to what you're looking for, and I'd welcome the chance to discuss it further.

Please let me know if there's any additional information I can provide. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,
[Your Name]
[Phone] · [LinkedIn URL]

What not to say

Do not apologise for following up. "Sorry to bother you" frames the email as an intrusion. You are not bothering them. You are a candidate checking in.
Do not restate your entire CV. The recruiter has it. This email is a prompt, not a reapplication.
Do not be vague. "I'm very interested in this exciting opportunity" says nothing. One specific reason why this company or role matters to you is more persuasive than two paragraphs of enthusiasm.
Do not attach your CV again unless asked. It implies you think they lost it, which is mildly insulting.
Do not send more than one. If you have followed up once and heard nothing after another two weeks, let it go. Multiple messages tips from professional into persistent.

Who to send it to

If you applied through an online portal and have no contact details, search LinkedIn for a recruiter, HR business partner, or hiring manager in that function at the company. If the role was posted by a named recruiter on LinkedIn or Indeed, contact them directly.

If you cannot find a specific contact, the company website often lists a general HR or recruitment email. That is better than nothing.

For roles at smaller companies, emailing the hiring manager directly is entirely normal. They often respect the initiative.

One of the best tools you have. A lot of people get jobs not because they were the strongest candidate on paper but because they showed genuine, specific, persistent interest. Following up once is a low-effort action that a surprisingly small percentage of candidates take. It is worth doing every time.

This works for interviews too. The same logic applies after an interview. A short thank-you email within 24 hours of an interview is rare enough that it gets noticed. Keep it brief: thank them for their time, restate your interest, reference one specific thing from the conversation.

A tailored CV gives you more to follow up from.

When your CV is genuinely matched to the role, the follow-up practically writes itself. CVBetter tailors your CV and cover letter to the job description in minutes.

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