How long to wait after an interview, and when to follow up
There is no universal number: it depends on the company, the role and how many stages are left. The surest answer is the one you ask for at the end of each stage: when will I hear back, and from whom?
What does waiting look like at each stage?
After you send an application, silence is common. After a screening call or an interview, ask for the date of the next step before you hang up. The further you get, the more a company owes you an answer, even if it is a no.
When and how should you follow up?
Once the date they gave has passed, send one short message: thank them, say you are still interested, and ask when they expect to decide. One follow-up is enough. After that, their silence is an answer too.
When does waiting become ghosting?
When they stop answering, with no end to it: no reply to your follow-up, not even a no. That is what candidates here mean when they pick 👻 Ghosted.
How long do candidates wait at a specific company?
Look the company up here. Its page counts how many candidates picked 🥱 Eternal wait or 👻 Ghosted, and how many were still waiting when they shared.
A follow-up you can copy
Hi [name], thanks again for the interview on [day]. I am still very interested in the role. Is there any news on the next step?
Before you leave each stage
- Ask when you will hear back.
- Ask who will get in touch, and how.
- Write down the date they gave.
- When it passes, follow up once.
- Keep applying elsewhere while you wait.
Check how long candidates waited at a company before you apply. When your own process ends, share how long you waited: the next candidate will know what to expect.
Last updated September 25, 2026