Job search messages: what to send, when to send it, and what to say.
Copy-ready templates and decision guides for every message in a job search: interviews, applications, offers, networking, references, resigning, layoffs and LinkedIn. Written by a career coach, with fictional examples and no invented statistics.
Job-search messages work best when they are short, specific and easy to answer. Send a thank-you within a day of an interview, follow up only after the date you were given has passed, ask one clear question per message, and stop after two follow-ups. Pick your situation below for templates, timing and a weak-vs-strong example.
When to send each message
| Message | When to send it | Templates |
|---|---|---|
| Thank-you after an interview | Within 24 hours | Open templates |
| Follow-up after an interview | After their decision date, or about a week | Open templates |
| Second follow-up | About a week after the first | Open templates |
| Follow-up on an application | About a week after applying | Open templates |
| Reply to an interview invite | Within a day | Open templates |
| Reply to a rejection | Within a day or two, if you interviewed | Open templates |
| Counter-offer email | Within a day or two of the written offer | Open templates |
| Accept an offer | After the written offer is right | Open templates |
| Networking follow-up | Within two days of meeting | Open templates |
| Thank a reference | After they've spoken to the employer | Open templates |
| Resignation email | Right after you tell your manager | Open templates |
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every template on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Interviews and applications
four templates you can send today
Open →TemplatesThank-you email after a phone interviewshort, specific, sent the same day
Open →TemplatesThank-you email after a final interviewclose the loop and make the decision easy
Open →TemplatesFollow-up email after an interviewwhen to send it and what to say
Open →TemplatesFollow-up email after no responsethe second nudge, done politely
Open →TemplatesHow long to hear back after an interviewwhat affects the wait, and what to do meanwhile
Open →TemplatesGhosted after an interviewa calm plan and the exact messages to send
Open →TemplatesHow to follow up on a job applicationwho to contact and what to write
Open →TemplatesFollow-up email to a recruiterwhat to send at each stage
Open →TemplatesHow to respond to a rejection emailgraceful, short and useful for next time
Open →TemplatesInterview confirmation emailaccept the invite and confirm every detail
Open →TemplatesHow to reschedule an interviewgive notice, offer options, keep it short
Open →TemplatesHow to decline an interviewpolitely, promptly and without burning bridges
Open →TemplatesHow to withdraw a job applicationa clean exit that keeps the door open
Open →Offers and pay
confirm the details, then say yes in writing
Open →TemplatesHow to decline a job offergraciously, quickly and in writing
Open →TemplatesDeclining a job offer after acceptingdo it fast, own it, keep it short
Open →TemplatesSalary negotiation emailhow to counter an offer in writing
Open →TemplatesHow to answer salary expectationsscripts for the interview and the application form
Open →Networking and recruiters
how to ask a company for a job it hasn't posted
Open →TemplatesHow to email a resumesubject line, body and attachment, done right
Open →TemplatesCold email for a jobhow to write to a hiring manager you don't know
Open →TemplatesHow to ask for a job referralmake it easy for someone to say yes
Open →TemplatesNetworking email templatesreconnect, introduce yourself, follow up
Open →TemplatesInformational interviewhow to ask, what to ask, how to follow up
Open →TemplatesCoffee chata 20-minute conversation that builds your network
Open →TemplatesElevator pitch examples for job seekerswho you are, what you do, what you want, in 30 seconds
Open →TemplatesHow to respond to a recruiteryes, maybe or not now, in a few lines
Open →TemplatesLinkedIn connection request messagesshort notes people actually accept
Open →TemplatesQuestions to ask a recruiterthe phone-screen checklist
Open →References
Leaving a job
the steps, the scripts and the order to do them in
Open →TemplatesTwo weeks' notice lettershort, formal and done in the right order
Open →TemplatesResignation emailthe written record after the conversation
Open →TemplatesHow to quit a job you just starteddecide carefully, then exit cleanly
Open →TemplatesQuitting a job without noticewhen it's justified and how to do it
Open →Layoffs and career breaks
the first 14 days, in order
Open →TemplatesLaid off vs fired vs furloughedwhat each means for your next job
Open →TemplatesSeverance paywhat it is, what to check, and how to ask for more
Open →TemplatesHow to explain being laid off or firedshort, honest, and pointed forward
Open →TemplatesHow to explain an employment gapone honest line, then back to the job
Open →TemplatesReturning to work after a career breaka 30-day plan and what to say
Open →LinkedIn examples
a formula, then dozens of ideas by situation
Open →ExamplesLinkedIn summary examplesan About section in four short paragraphs
Open →ExamplesLinkedIn Open to Workbanner or private mode, and what to post
Open →ExamplesLinkedIn profile examples for studentsheadline, About and experience when you're just starting
Open →HubAll LinkedIn examplesHeadlines, About sections, Open to Work and students.
Open →Job search message questions
What should I send after a job interview?
How many times should I follow up with an employer?
Are these templates free to use?
What's the difference between these pages and the Job search emails tool?
Do the examples use real people or companies?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. The templates and timing guides are practical advice, labelled as advice. We do not publish response rates or success rates, and every example uses fictional details.
- How a specific employer or recruiter will respond: practices vary by company, industry and person.
- Legal advice: for contracts, severance releases or disputes, talk to an employment attorney or the relevant agency.
- Outcomes: no message, template or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 2, 2026.