What to Do When a Job Application Is 'In Progress'
A job application listed as “In Progress” simply means the employer's applicant tracking system has accepted your submission and the opening remains unfilled. It does not mean someone is actively reading your resume right now, nor does it guarantee you will hear back without taking initiative.
What does 'In Progress' actually mean behind the scenes?
When you submit an application through an online portal or job board, the platform tags your file with an active state. To understand how candidates track these updates, consider this real-world example of application status tracking. At this stage, recruiters are usually managing one of three internal phases:
- Batching applicants: Recruiters rarely review applicants one by one. They often wait until a posting hits a target number of candidates before screening the pool together.
- Hiring manager review: The recruiter may have approved your initial profile and forwarded a short list to the department lead, waiting on their availability to schedule interviews.
- Role on hold: Teams occasionally pause hiring while recalibrating budgets or role requirements, leaving all submitted candidates sitting in limbo.
When and how should you follow up?
Wait five to seven business days after applying before reaching out. Reaching out sooner signals impatience; waiting more than two weeks risks the interview slate being filled.
Find the primary recruiter or the relevant department lead on LinkedIn. Keep your message brief, reference the exact job title, and highlight one specific reason your background fits. Do not ask for generic updates on your resume status. Instead, give them an easy decision to make.
Here is a concrete message template to adapt:
“Hi Sarah — I applied for the Senior Product Operations role last Tuesday. Given my recent work standardizing fulfillment workflows across three distribution centers, I wanted to reach out directly. I know you are likely reviewing a broad pool, but I would welcome five minutes to share how that operational background lines up with your team's immediate priorities. Either way, thanks for your time.”
If you need to draft variations of this pitch tailored to different roles, Destava's Writing Hub can generate targeted outreach messages using your confirmed career details so you do not have to write from scratch every time.
What actions should you take while waiting?
Waiting on a single application creates unnecessary friction. Instead of refreshing an application portal, direct your effort into three proactive habits:
- Build light visibility: Find team members or managers who post about problems relevant to your target role. Leave insightful replies on their updates. You can use Destava's Comment Assist to draft thoughtful, substantive responses on LinkedIn posts so you show up naturally on their radar without pitching them directly.
- Find warm paths: Check whether any mutual contacts currently work at the organization. A quick note asking for their perspective on the department's current projects can sometimes lead to an internal referral flag on your existing file.
- Log the role and move on: Add the listing to Destava's application tracker so you have an exact record of the date, job description, and outreach history. Then turn your attention to submitting your next high-fit application.