The Waiting Game: What Do You Do After Applying For A Job?

No matter who you ask, the job seeking process is difficult, time-consuming, and labor-intensive — from preparing your resume to getting an interview. It can be exciting to scour through countless job posts and apply to whatever resonates with your career goals. But after you hit the “apply now” button, what now?

You have now entered the waiting game—that dreaded period of uncertainty and constant checking of your inbox for any updates regarding your application. This part of the process is inevitable, whether you are just starting in your career or if you are an experienced professional looking for growth. You can alleviate that uncertainty and come out as one of the top candidates by reminding yourself of some helpful tips you could use while you are in the waiting game.

• You did what you could; don’t be too hard on yourself.
• You can always follow up on your application.
• You can still look for other opportunities while waiting.
• You can upskill yourself moving forward.

You did what you could; don’t be too hard on yourself.

Before doing anything else, have you taken the time to appreciate and be proud of yourself? If you haven’t yet, then give yourself a big hug and a pat on the back! What you did was no easy feat—sending that resume or going to that interview you have prepared so hard for. It is normal to worry about how the recruiter will see your resume or interview and that is totally valid. Still, thank yourself for taking the chance and the risk.

We often forget to look back and see how far we have come from when we first started building our career. Even if you have just sent your first job application, you are already miles away from the starting point. Just making the decision to build your professional career is already a huge step in the right direction—career growth. As much as possible, remind yourself that you did your best, and that is enough.

You can always follow up on your application.

These questions will almost always pop up in your mind: “How long should I wait? Is it okay to follow up on my application status?”

During the first installment of Get Hired with Kalibrr last January 2023, Mr. Paulo Tatad, the Head of Talent Acquisition of ABS-CBN Corporation, mentioned that job seekers should hold the employers accountable for their hiring timetable. Once you correspond with the recruiter, ask them about the entire application process and the timeframe they have per each stage. This way, you have an idea of how long your waiting game can be and plan your next steps accordingly.

This resource is from Get Hired with Kalibrr: The Future of Remote Work in the Philippines. To learn more about remote working from the industry standards, check out the full webinar and stay tuned for future events on our Facebook page.

If they still have not reached out to you, this is where following up becomes important. A job application, like any other form of communication, should be a two-way street. There is no harm in sending an email to ask for an update regarding your progress. Wait for five to eight business days after you have sent your resume or have attended the interview before following up. After that, it is up to you if you still want to follow up again for a second time—but be careful not to come across as demanding or desperate.

You can still look for other opportunities while waiting.

Still got no response even after following up? Maybe it is time to redirect your attention to other opportunities. This does not mean that you should abandon your current application. In planting, you do not only sow one seed and wait if it matures or not before you sow another. The same can also be said in job seeking—you cannot rely on one application and passively wait if it progresses or not.

As you look for new opportunities, do anything that you think will help you increasing your chances of landing a job. You can start working on improving your resume and tailoring it to the role you want to get. You might also want to brush up your interview skills and present yourself better in front of the next recruiter you are going to face. 

Another important aspect to check is the place where you look for jobs. You can try exploring platforms you have not used before and check the kind of companies they have in there. Here in Kalibrr, we aim to promote entry-level to managerial jobs coming from startups to industry-leading companies, giving you a limitless number of meaningful possibilities to explore. 

You can upskill yourself moving forward.

Along the lines of waiting actively and improving yourself comes taking the time to learn new skills. One possible reason why it is taking time for recruiters to get back to you is that they are prioritizing those who fit their job search criteria more, thus making you wait.

To prevent that from happening again in the future, research on the common skills necessary to be successful in the role. Gauge your knowledge and capabilities to achieve those skills, then list out those that you think will be most beneficial for you to improve on. Once that is done, you can look for free training and courses to upskill. Paid courses and training are also beneficial and can be seen as an investment in your professional development.

READ MORE: Five Free Online Marketing Courses You Need To Take 

The waiting game spares no one during the job search process. While you are in it, give yourself enough credit, plan what you need to do next, and wait actively. This is just temporary and it shall pass. 

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Kalibrr is a recruitment technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, we continue to attract the best talent from all over, with more than 5.5 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 18,000 clients and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures. 

For more tips on acing job interviews, follow Kalibrr on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tiktok.

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