The follow-up email that gets a reply

Following up is not pestering — it is a normal, expected part of the process, and it works. The trick is to be brief, specific, and easy to respond to.

Timing

• After applying: a short note to a recruiter or hiring manager a few days later, if you have a contact.
• After an interview: a thank-you within 24 hours, referencing something specific you discussed.
• When it goes quiet: one polite check-in around the timeline they gave you — not every three days.

Keep it to a few sentences: thank them, restate your interest in one line, and ask a clear question about next steps. A wall of text is easy to ignore; a one-line question is easy to answer.