Interview Follow-Up Email After 1 Week
The right way to check in after seven days
It has been one week since your interview and you have not heard back. This is the most common and appropriate time to send a follow-up email. One week signals patience and genuine interest without being premature. Here is exactly what to write.
Is One Week the Right Time to Follow Up?
Yes — one week is widely considered the sweet spot for a post-interview follow-up. Assuming you already sent a thank you email within 24 hours of the interview, one week is the appropriate interval for a status check.
The exception: if the interviewer gave you a specific timeline ("We will decide by Friday"), wait until one to two business days after that deadline passes before following up. Respecting their stated timeline shows professionalism.
One-Week Follow-Up Templates
Template 1: Standard Check-In
Subject: Following up — [Position Title] Hi [Name], I hope you are having a great week. I wanted to follow up on our conversation from [date] regarding the [Position Title] role. I remain very enthusiastic about the opportunity and would love to hear about any updates on the timeline. Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide. Best regards, [Your Name]
Template 2: With a New Detail
Subject: Quick follow-up — [Position Title] Hi [Name], Following up on our interview last week. Since we spoke, I have been thinking about [challenge or project discussed], and I am even more excited about the possibility of tackling it with your team. Any updates on next steps? Happy to provide anything else you need. Best, [Your Name]
Template 3: Referencing Their Timeline
Subject: Checking in — [Position Title] Hi [Name], I hope all is well. I understand the hiring process takes time and wanted to check in on the [Position Title] role. I remain very interested in the opportunity and confident I could make a strong contribution to your team. Looking forward to any updates when you have them. Best regards, [Your Name]
What If They Still Do Not Respond?
If your one-week follow-up goes unanswered, wait another week before sending a second follow-up. See our two-week follow-up guide for templates. After two follow-ups with no response, it is generally best to move on and focus on other opportunities.
Tips for One-Week Follow-Ups
- Keep it brief: Three to five sentences maximum. They have context from the interview.
- Stay positive: Express enthusiasm, not frustration about the wait.
- Do not repeat your thank you: This is a status check, not a second thank you email.
- Send on Tuesday-Thursday: These days have the highest email open rates.
- Contact your primary interviewer: Follow up with the person who interviewed you, not every person you met.
For more templates, explore our complete follow-up email guide, short interview follow-ups, after no response strategies, and follow-up subject lines.
Use AI email tools like Monssot to draft professional follow-ups in seconds. Also explore thank you emails and writing emails faster.
Explore all guides in this series: follow-up email guide, after interview, after no response, after application, sample no response, short after interview, how to follow up, sales follow-up, cold email follow-up, subject lines, 2 weeks after interview, templates, polite follow-up.
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