How to Email a Hiring Manager After Applying (With Samples)

To email a hiring manager after applying, send a short note within a day or two: say which job you applied for, give one or two specific reasons you fit, and ask for a brief conversation. Keep it to four to six sentences, attach your resume, and send a separate note to the recruiter. Then follow up once, about a week later.

That's the whole method. The rest of this page is the why and the how, from someone who reads these notes for a living. I've been a recruiter for about 20 years, agency and corporate.

Why the email matters more than it used to

The pile is bigger than ever. Greenhouse found that applications per job rose 102% from late 2022 to late 2024. In the same research, 38% of job seekers said they mass-apply. That means the stack is full of people who clicked "apply" on fifty jobs that morning.

I usually recruit for 15 to 20 jobs at a time. Each one gets hundreds and hundreds of applicants. I will find the best people in that pile. That's my job. But a candidate who writes me a real note, about this job, stands out right away. I read it. I often pick up the phone. When it's good, I forward it to the hiring manager. And hiring managers forward me candidates who wrote to them directly. Many of those people got interviews and offers.

A note doesn't skip the process. It puts a person behind your application.

Apply first, then write

Always submit the application before you email. Two reasons:

1. The company needs you in its system to interview or hire you. A manager who likes your note will ask, "Did you apply?"
2. It gives your email a clean opening: "I just applied for the Operations Coordinator role."

When to send it

• Best: the same day you apply, or the next business day.
• Good: any weekday morning. Tuesday through Thursday is fine. Don't overthink the hour.
• Not great: Friday night or the weekend. It'll be buried under Monday's mail.
• If the job has been posted a while: still send it. Jobs stay open longer than you'd think.

What to write: five sentences

Here's the shape I like to see:

1. The job. Which role you applied for, by title. Managers often have more than one open.
2. The proof. One or two specific things you've done that match what the job needs. Numbers and names of tools help. "I've run payroll for 180 employees in ADP" beats "I'm detail-oriented."
3. The connection. One line showing you read the ad or know their world. "The ad mentions a new location opening; I helped open two."
4. The ask. A short call, not a job. "Would you be open to a 15-minute call?"
5. The close. Your resume is attached, plus your phone number.

Skip the life story. Skip "I know you're busy." Skip "I'm the perfect candidate." Let the proof do the work.

A sample email to the hiring manager

Subject: Applied for Operations Coordinator, Jennifer Walsh

Hi Ms. Carter,

I applied today for the Operations Coordinator role on your team. For the past four years I've scheduled crews and tracked jobs for a commercial cleaning company with 60 field staff, and I cut missed visits by building a simple daily checklist the supervisors still use. Your ad mentions coordinating across three sites, which is what I do now. Would you be open to a short call this week or next? My resume is attached.

Thank you, Jennifer Walsh (555) 010-3381

That's under 100 words. A manager can read it on a phone in the elevator.

A sample note to the recruiter

Most advice online tells you to skip the recruiter. I'd tell you the opposite. The recruiter is on your side. Their job is to fill this seat, and a strong candidate makes their week. Send them a separate, shorter note.

Subject: Operations Coordinator, applied today

Hi Dana,

I applied today for the Operations Coordinator opening. I've coordinated crews across multiple sites for four years and I'm local to the area. I'd be glad to talk whenever works for you. Resume attached.

Thanks, Jennifer Walsh (555) 010-3381

Don't copy the recruiter on the manager's email, and don't send one note to both. Two short, separate notes read better. For more on what each person cares about, see hiring manager vs recruiter.

The subject line

Keep it plain: the job title, the word "applied" and your name. It's searchable, it looks like business, and it tells them what's inside before they open it. More options in subject lines for an email to a hiring manager.

The one follow-up

If you hear nothing, wait about a week, then reply on the same thread so they see your first note:

Hi Ms. Carter, just following up on my note about the Operations Coordinator role. I'm still very interested and happy to work around your schedule. Thanks again, Jennifer

That's it. One follow-up. After that, put your energy into the next application. A stream of emails is what bothers people. A short, sincere note and one polite nudge never does.

Mistakes that hurt you

• A wall of text. If it needs scrolling, it's too long.
• A generic note. If it could be sent to any company, it reads like spam.
• Asking for the job. Ask for a conversation.
• Writing to personal emails or phones. Use work channels.
• Bending the truth. Never overstate experience. It comes out in the first call.
• Getting the name wrong. Double-check spelling and that the person still works there.

What to do today

1. Apply through the portal.
2. Find the most likely hiring manager and the recruiter for the job.
3. Write a five-sentence note to the manager with one or two real proof points.
4. Write a shorter note to the recruiter.
5. Attach your resume as a PDF.
6. Set a calendar reminder for one follow-up in a week.

If you don't know who to write to

Finding the right person is the part that stops most people. If you don't know who to write to, paste the job link at emailthehiringmanager.com and it looks for the most likely hiring manager and the recruiter for that job, with emails labeled verified or best guess. It isn't always right, so check the names make sense. Then send your two notes and get on with your day.

Common questions

How soon after applying should I email the hiring manager?

Within a day or two is ideal. Your application is fresh in the system, and the manager can match your note to it. If the posting is already a few weeks old, send it the same day you apply.

Should I attach my resume to the email?

Yes, attach it as a PDF named with your name and the job title. Many managers won't log into the hiring system to find you, so make it easy for them to look right away.

What if the hiring manager doesn't reply?

Send one short follow-up about a week later, then let it go. Silence usually means they're busy or the process is moving slowly, not that you did something wrong.

Related guides

• Should I Email the Recruiter After Applying? A Recruiter Answers
• How to Find the Hiring Manager for a Job (A Recruiter's Method)

Sources

• Applications per job have doubled
• Many job seekers mass-apply