How to check the status of a job application

How to find the right portal for each ATS

When you applied, you should have received a confirmation email. That email almost always contains a link back to your application. Save it. The link tells you which ATS the employer is using, and that tells you exactly where to look.

If you deleted the confirmation email, search your inbox for the employer name alongside words like 'application received', 'thank you for applying', or 'your application to'. Most ATS platforms send from a no-reply address that includes their own domain.

• Greenhouse: the confirmation email comes from no-reply@greenhouse.io. Log in at app.greenhouse.io with the email address you used to apply. Your application status appears under 'My Applications'.
• Lever: confirmation emails come from no-reply@hire.lever.co. There is no candidate portal for Lever; status updates are sent by email only, so check your inbox and spam folder.
• Workday: each employer hosts their own Workday instance, for example careers.company.com. Log in with the account you created when you applied. Go to 'My Applications' to see the current stage.
• iCIMS: look for a link in your confirmation email to the employer's iCIMS portal. Log in and check 'My Job Cart' or 'My Submissions'.
• SmartRecruiters: log in at careers.smartrecruiters.com with your account. Your applications and their statuses are listed on the dashboard.
• Taleo (Oracle): each employer has a unique URL, usually company.taleo.net. Log in and navigate to 'My Submissions'.

What the status labels actually mean

ATS status labels are written for internal use, not for candidates. They can be confusing or even misleading. Here is what the most common ones mean in practice.

A status that has not changed in three or four weeks does not necessarily mean you have been rejected. Many roles stay open for six to eight weeks, and recruiters often batch their reviews.

• 'Application received' or 'Submitted': your application is in the system but has not been reviewed yet.
• 'Under review' or 'In progress': a recruiter or hiring manager has opened your file. This is a good sign, but it does not mean you are shortlisted.
• 'Interview' or 'Assessment': you have been moved to an active stage. Expect contact soon if you have not heard already.
• 'On hold': the role is paused, often because of a budget freeze or internal restructuring. It may reopen.
• 'No longer under consideration' or 'Not selected': you have been rejected. The role may still be open for other candidates.
• 'Hired' or 'Filled': the position has been filled. If you see this and were not contacted, you were not selected.

When and how to follow up by email

Wait at least five to seven business days after the application deadline, or ten business days if no deadline was listed, before sending a follow-up. Following up sooner rarely helps and can irritate a recruiter who is still reviewing applications.

Keep your email short. Recruiters receive dozens of follow-ups a week. A message under 100 words that is easy to scan gets a faster response than a long one that restates your entire cover letter.

Send to the recruiter named in the job posting or confirmation email. If you cannot find a name, look on LinkedIn for the company's talent acquisition team and address the email to the relevant person by name.

1. Subject line: 'Following up: [Job Title] application, [Your Name]'
2. Opening: 'I applied for the [Job Title] role on [date] and wanted to check whether you need anything further from me.'
3. One sentence on why you are interested: 'I am particularly interested in this role because [specific reason tied to the job or company].'
4. Close: 'Please let me know if there is anything I can provide. I am happy to make myself available at your convenience.'
5. Sign off with your full name, phone number, and a link to your LinkedIn profile.

How to follow up on LinkedIn without being pushy

A LinkedIn connection request to the recruiter is acceptable if you have not heard back after your follow-up email. Keep the note brief and professional. Do not mention that you are following up on an application in the connection request itself; save that for a message after they accept.

Once connected, send a single short message. Something like: 'Thanks for connecting. I applied for the [Job Title] role on [date] and sent a follow-up email last week. I wanted to make sure it did not get lost. Happy to answer any questions.' Do not send more than one message if they do not reply.

How to track multiple applications without losing track

If you are applying to more than five or six roles at once, a simple spreadsheet beats trying to remember which portal belongs to which employer. Record the company name, job title, ATS used, date applied, application deadline, follow-up date, and current status.

Break-In Bad's inbox feature pulls employer replies into one place and sends you an alert when an interview invitation arrives, along with a reminder the day before. If you are applying through the platform, you also get a screenshot as proof of each submitted application, which makes it easier to know exactly what was sent and when.

What to do if you never hear back

Most employers in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia are not legally required to notify unsuccessful candidates, though some large employers do send rejection emails automatically. If you have followed up once by email and once on LinkedIn and received no response after three weeks, it is reasonable to treat the application as closed and move on.

Before you do, check the job posting. If the role has been reposted with a new closing date, the employer may have reset the process. You can apply again with an updated application. If the posting has been removed entirely, the role has likely been filled or cancelled.

Use the silence as data. If you are consistently not hearing back after applying, the issue is usually the resume or the match between your profile and the roles you are targeting, not the follow-up strategy.