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Application update - Follow up

W5690

Esteemed Member
Nov 4, 2019
77
8
Hello,

I sent a couple of speculative applications to law firms (accepting this type of application) and I was wondering how to draft a polite and concise email to follow up on my applications. @Jessica Booker Could you please share your thoughts on this? Many thanks.
 

Ram Sabaratnam

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Sep 7, 2024
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Hello,

I sent a couple of speculative applications to law firms (accepting this type of application) and I was wondering how to draft a polite and concise email to follow up on my applications. @Jessica Booker Could you please share your thoughts on this? Many thanks.

Hiya @W5690


So great that you could get several applications in this cycle. In my experience, I’ve generally only followed up if about a month has passed since submitting my application (and I usually wait until after the application deadline has closed before sending such emails). Right now, a lot of firms are still working through a high volume of applications, and responses to applicants may take some time. That said, if you do decide to follow up, you could send something like this:

Subject: Follow-Up on Application Status

Dear [Recruiter's/Team's Name],

I hope you’re well.

I wanted to follow up on my application to the [spring/summer/winter vacation scheme] submitted on [date]. I appreciate that your team may be handling a high volume of applications, but I wanted to check if there might be an update on my application status.

Many thanks for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
[Your Full Name]

This structure should keep your application polite and relatively concise. Hope that helps and hope you hear back from your firms soon :)
 
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Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
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Graduate Recruitment
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Aug 1, 2019
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Hello,

I sent a couple of speculative applications to law firms (accepting this type of application) and I was wondering how to draft a polite and concise email to follow up on my applications. @Jessica Booker Could you please share your thoughts on this? Many thanks.
When they are speculative, I wouldn’t expect a response back unfortunately. You could email again, but you could easily not get a response to that email as well.
 

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
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Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
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Hello @Jessica Booker, many thanks for letting me know about this. What do you think of following up one month later? Thank you.
I personally wouldn’t follow up unless you needed to update your CV/application form.

Speculative applications are effectively a way to data capture your details. When organisations do this, they do so with no particular vacancy in mind and they may not even have any live vacancies at that point in time. Firms then collect your CV with the view that they will contact you if there is a vacancy that they think you might be suitable for. But that vacancy might not come up immediately nor for many months.

Instead, I would keep an eye on the firm’s careers website/vacancy listings and if you see a job they are advertising for, then remind them of your speculative applications. Otherwise it is just better to wait it out and for them to contact you when something becomes available.
 
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W5690

Esteemed Member
Nov 4, 2019
77
8
I personally wouldn’t follow up unless you needed to update your CV/application form.

Speculative applications are effectively a way to data capture your details. When organisations do this, they do so with no particular vacancy in mind and they may not even have any live vacancies at that point in time. Firms then collect your CV with the view that they will contact you if there is a vacancy that they think you might be suitable for. But that vacancy might not come up immediately nor for many months.

Instead, I would keep an eye on the firm’s careers website/vacancy listings and if you see a job they are advertising for, then remind them of your speculative applications. Otherwise it is just better to wait it out and for them to contact you when something becomes available.
@Jessica Booker Many thanks for your highly helpful advice. This is truly appreciated.
 

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