Introduction:
You applied for a job, submitted your resume, went through the interview process but have received no response yet. Your application status reads “under review.” But what does Under Review Application mean? Are you selected or not? Should you wait for a response or apply at other places?
The answer to these and other such questions will be provided by me in this article. Keep scrolling to know more!
When a job application status says “under review” it could be very confusing and difficult to interpret. This could lead to miscommunication among the two parties. An “under review” application could be due to many reasons but in a nutshell, it means exactly what the words say. Your application is being considered and you are not yet rejected nor selected. You could be at any stage of the selection process and the status might mean different meanings at different times. I will explain the different meanings of this status and advise how you should proceed under such circumstances. Let’s begin.
What does application under review mean?
When your application is “under review” it means that your application is still being evaluated. You are still in the running for the job. However, this is not “good” or “bad” news. It is neutral and needs to be taken like that. You are not rejected yet, but not selected either.
You should ideally continue your search and not wait until you get a definite response from the employer. This is because sometimes the hiring process can take a very long time. In case you wait for a long time and eventually end up getting rejected, you would have wasted a lot of time, that could be best spent on different prospects.
In some cases, companies are disorganized and hence do not update each application status. This means that your application might have gotten rejected but they never bothered to update the status. This is especially why you should not get hung up on a single job and apply at multiple places.
All in all, an “under review” application can mean many things and can have different possibilities. We will consider some possibilities now.
Why is my application “under review?”
As mentioned before, if your application is under review it could be due to multiple reasons. Some of them are mentioned below.
- Your application still hasn’t been reviewed. It might be lying on a recruiter’s desk somewhere or still lying in the systems. Sometimes, a company gets a lot of job applications and they aren’t able to keep up with a fast pace. Stay patient and give the company some time to get back to you or update the status.
- The person responsible for reviewing and selecting the applications can likely be on leave. In these circumstances, your application could face some delays. The person responsible for your job applications might have left their job and the company is in the process of selecting someone to replace the recruiter. All these situations are inconvenient to you but unfortunately out of your control.
- Certain companies tend to have an exhausting and tedious hiring process. They are likely dealing with a lot of job applications and haven’t gotten the chance to get through them all. This means that your application may or may not have been reviewed yet. Thus, the recruiter hasn’t reached a decision. You should maintain your composure till you get a definite response from the employer and not jump to any conclusions.
- In some cases, there could arise a conflict in selection. If more than one person is responsible for making the selection, there could be a difference of opinions. This means that one of the recruiters might want to hire you while the other recruiter might have a different choice. This can cause delays in the section process. However, these recruiters are trained to deal with such situations and will come to a common ground soon.
- In rare but true cases, the company is not clear with some requirements from their end. They might not be clear with the salary they can provide, the title of the position, or other policies. So even if you might have gotten selected, they have not reached out yet to avoid any mix-up.
- It is also likely that the company has already made its decision and selected an applicant. But if the applicant has yet not accepted the job offer then the recruiter is being safe and not turning away candidates yet. They are keeping you in consideration in case it doesn’t work out with the current selection. There is no way to get this information from the recruiter unless you The have contacts with someone in the inner circle.
- In some cases, your application may have gotten rejected but still shows “under review” status. This means that the company is disorganized to update the application statuses or that they have too many applications to even bother. In these situations, consider the time since applying. If it has been too long then it is safe to believe that you didn’t get selected.
Do’s and Don’ts:
It is important to remember certain etiquettes and follow professional behavior throughout the hiring process. You have to be patient and wait for a definite response from the employer. Do not constantly ask for updates from the recruiter or get in touch with them during bizarre hours. This would make a stale impression and instead backfire.
There are some dos and don’ts that you should follow to handle this situation.
Do’s:
- Be patient: You have applied for the job and done your part. The only thing you can do now is to wait and hope for the best. Be patient and calm in your composure. Trust the process and believe in your abilities.
- Continue your search: It is always beneficial to apply at multiple places at once. This increases your chance of getting recruited. Apply at other places after you have completed the interview process at a certain company. In the event of getting selected at more than one company, you get the freedom to choose a job that you find favorable.
- Show interest: If there is a job that you really want but haven’t received a definite response yet, then you can get in touch with the recruiter professionally and show your interest. Mention that you are still interested in the job and would like to know if you are still in the run for it.
- Act professionally: If you went through an offline hiring process and don’t know the real updates regarding your application status, you can feel free to connect with the recruiter and get the information. Make sure to do this professionally. Email them if you have their IDs or approach them on a business platform like LinkedIn.
Don’t’s:
- Pause your search: The worst thing you could do is to pause your search for other jobs until a certain application is accepted or rejected. If you wait for long and then don’t get hired, it will be a major waste of your time. Do not put a pause to your search in anticipation of positive news from one company.
- Cross boundaries: If you are trying to contact a recruiter to get an update on your application status, do not cross any personal boundaries. For example, it is best not to get in touch with them through their personal number or outside the office. Don’t hound the recruiter. They work at their pace and consistently nagging them might get you rejected. Don’t ask for updates too often or at bizarre hours.
It is extremely important to maintain a good impression throughout the process and even after. Your actions and behavior matter and are the factors responsible for the ultimate result.
Conclusion:
To summarize, an “under review” application can mean multiple things that are neither positive nor negative. What matters is that you remain patient throughout and don’t lose hope. Always apply at multiple places to be safe. And remember, if your application does get rejected, it’s not the end of the world. You don’t give up and apply until you find a job that best suits you. I am rooting for you!