- Follow up once, seven to ten working days after applying.
- After an interview, send a short thank you within 24 hours.
- Keep every follow up under 100 words.
- Never send the same message to several people at one company on the same day.
A good follow up shows interest and professionalism. A bad one looks desperate. The difference is timing and length.
After applying
Hello Ms Weber, I applied for the Data Engineer role (ref. 1234) on 3 November. I have built Spark pipelines for a retail company with 800 stores, which matches your data platform plans. I would be glad to answer any questions. Kind regards, Priya Sharma
After an interview
Dear Mr Jansen, thank you for the conversation today. I especially enjoyed hearing about the migration to the new platform. It confirmed that I would like to join the team. I look forward to the next steps. Best regards, Arjun
After silence
Hello Anna, I wanted to check whether there is any update on the Product Manager role. I remain very interested. If the role has been filled, I would appreciate a short note. Thank you, Rahul
Rules
- Use the recruiter's name and the role. Never write Dear Sir/Madam if you know the name.
- Under 100 words. Recruiters read on their phones.
- One follow up per stage. Then move on.
- Formal but warm. In Germany, use the surname unless they used your first name.
Common questions
Should I call instead?
Email or LinkedIn is better in most European companies.
Can I follow up on LinkedIn?
Yes, especially if you don't have the email address.
What if they reply that I was rejected?
Thank them and ask for one piece of feedback. Some will answer.
TEMPLATES to @swapnil_in_germany on Instagram.Sources
I moved to Germany for my master's, collected more than 1,000 rejections, and then got multiple job offers within six months. I work in digital marketing in Germany and help international professionals get hired in Europe. Read my story.