Career · 2026-08-22 · 11 min read

Follow-up after sending a CV (without looking like spam)

When to write, which subject, and what not to resend. Follow up after 5–7 days, not the next morning. ClarCV.

A follow-up after sending a CV is not resending the same PDF the next day. In Spain, a short email after 5–7 working days (or the window the ad stated) is normal. Earlier looks anxious. A third time is spam. People searching this already sent the file: the next step is a reply that takes thirty seconds, not a second CV.

If you applied via a board (InfoJobs, Easy Apply), email follow-up only makes sense if you have a real contact. If not, the application status on the board is the channel. Do not open a thread to a 200-person info@ box. Sisters: send CV by email, checklist, job boards.

Before you follow up, confirm the PDF was the right one (filename, one column, attachment that opens). ClarCV (clarcv.com) is for that, not for chasing the recruiter. Free: 3 analyses and 2 downloads / 30 days, no card. Pro €7/month.

Subject and body (examples)

Subject: “[Role] application — [Name] — follow-up” or reply on the original thread. Body: one context line (“I sent the CV on the 12th”), one fit line (“3 years on the floor / the ad asked for shifts”), one closed question (“Are you still reviewing this fortnight?”), sign-off. Do not reattach the CV unless they ask or the first bounced.

• One follow-up. A second only if they said “we will write in two weeks” and three have passed.
• LinkedIn: a short InMail to the vacancy recruiter, not the whole company.
• Do not call reception the same day “to check it arrived”.
• If they rejected you, do not argue with ATS. Ask for feedback only after an interview.

A short template

Hi [Name], on [date] I sent my CV for [role] (ref. [if any]). I am still interested. The file includes [one-line proof]. Could you confirm whether the process is still active? Thanks, [phone]. Reattach only if this is a new thread or the file failed. Tone matches email send: human, not a 2014 “dear recruiter” template.