The waiting game after submitting a résumé or coming in for an interview can be tedious, so save yourself the time and stress of staring at your phone screen or email inbox in hopes of a reply by following these simple guidelines:

GIVE IT SOME TIME

It’s in our nature to sprint home after an interview and furiously refresh our emails for feedback, but know that this expectation is unrealistic. Potential employers are busy people with lives of their own, and we need to respect that. For this reason, wait at least four or five days to check back in, but refrain from holding off for more than two weeks.

COMMUNICATE YOUR WAY

Opinions vary on whether emails or phone calls are better, so I say, choose what you feel most comfortable with. Emails are less disruptive but might also end up in the junk folder. Phone calls are more aggressive but perhaps get the job done more effectively. Stick to your guns, girlfriend.

SAY THE RIGHT THINGS

Don’t worry—this sounds much harder than it actually is. First, catch their attention with a unique subject line; steer clear of generic statements such as “Application Follow-Up.” Then, in the body of the email, refrain from talking about yourself in excess, but rather, focus on them. Make it a tasteful balance of what you can do for them. Finally, close the email with a genuine sentiment of thanks.

WORK YOUR ANGLES

As a last ditch effort, do some digging online. See if any of your LinkedIn connections are affiliated with the company you’re applying to or if any of your Facebook friends seem to frequently interact with the company’s social media accounts. This is the part where you swallow your pride and ask for some assistance. But hey, if it works, who cares?!

KNOW WHEN TO SURRENDER

The formula for following up is by no means steadfast, but there is a general cutoff. After a phone call and an email sent a few days later, it’s usually time to call it quits. The same goes for two emails. Take the hint to take your talents elsewhere because clearly, it wasn’t the job for your anyway.

Following up ain’t easy. How do you go about it? Let us know in the comments!

(Featured image via pixels.com)