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A job application status is the label an employer’s hiring system shows for where your application stands. “Submitted” means it arrived, “under review” or “under consideration” means you are still in the running, “interviewing” means you have moved forward, and “not selected” or “position filled” means the employer has moved on for this role.
Common Application Statuses and What They Mean
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Submitted or Received | Your application arrived in the employer’s system. Usually nobody has read it yet. | Nothing yet. Note the date and keep applying elsewhere. |
| Under review or In review | The application is in the queue to be read, or a recruiter is reading it. Many systems set this automatically. | Wait. Make sure your contact details and inbox are ready for a reply. |
| Under consideration | You haven’t been ruled out and the role is still open. It does not by itself mean an interview is coming. | Wait about one to two weeks, then follow up once if you have a contact. |
| Screening | A recruiter is checking your application against the basics, or wants a short phone screen. | Prepare a two-minute summary of your experience and your reasons for applying. |
| Assessment | You are asked to complete a test, task or questionnaire before interviews. | Do it promptly, in a quiet place, and check the deadline. |
| Interviewing or Interview scheduled | You have moved forward. Some systems also show this when the employer is interviewing others. | Confirm the time, research the company and practise your answers out loud. |
| Offer | The employer wants to hire you. An offer may come by phone first, then in writing. | Ask for the written offer, read it fully and take a day to decide if you need it. |
| On hold | Hiring for the role is paused, often for budget or planning reasons. | Keep applying. A short check-in after a few weeks is reasonable. |
| Not selected or Rejected | The employer has decided not to move forward with you for this role. | Ask for brief feedback if you were interviewed, then move on. It says nothing about future roles. |
| No longer under consideration | Another way of saying not selected for this role, sometimes set when the role closes. | Same as above. You can still apply to other roles there. |
| Position filled | Someone has been hired. Applicants still open are closed in bulk. | Nothing to do. Look for similar roles at the same employer. |
| Closed | The job is no longer accepting applications, whether or not it was filled. | Nothing to do. Watch for it being reposted. |
| Withdrawn | You (or, rarely, the employer) took the application out of the process. | If it was a mistake, contact the recruiter quickly. |
What “Under Consideration” Really Means
“Under consideration” is the most searched status, and the most misread. It is good news in a modest way: your application is still alive. It does not mean a recruiter has shortlisted you, and it does not mean an interview is coming.
In many hiring systems, every application that hasn’t been rejected sits in this status. It can stay there for weeks while the employer interviews other candidates, waits for budget sign-off or simply hasn’t reviewed the pile yet. Treat it as “still open”, follow up once after a week or two, and keep your search moving.
Ready to put this into practice?
Set up Auto Apply →Why the Wording Changes Between Employers
Each employer uses a hiring system (often called an applicant tracking system) to manage applications, and each system has its own labels. Candidates see statuses like these in the candidate portals of systems such as Workday and many others. The same stage can appear as “In review”, “Under review”, “Under consideration” or “Application received”, depending on the system and how the employer set it up.
Some things are worth knowing:
- Many statuses are automatic. A change to “In review” can happen the moment you submit, without a person looking at it.
- Employers configure their own stages. One employer’s “Screening” is another’s “Under consideration”. Read the label as a rough stage, not a precise message.
- Statuses often lag behind reality. A recruiter may contact you for an interview while the portal still shows “Under review”.
- Silence is common. Some employers never update the status for applicants they don’t move forward. A status that hasn’t changed in a month usually means the role went another way.
Workday application status meanings
If you applied through an employer that uses Workday, you can check your status by signing in to that employer’s own candidate home page (each employer has its own, so an account with one employer doesn’t show applications to another). The labels you see there are set up by the employer, and they map onto the same stages as the table above: received, in review or under consideration, interviewing, offer, or closed.
How Long Each Stage Usually Takes
There are no fixed timelines, and they vary a lot by employer size, role and season. As a rough guide, a confirmation arrives within minutes, a first response often takes one to two weeks, and decisions after interviews often take another week or two. Large employers and roles with many applicants can take longer, and some never reply.
Our guide on how long it takes to hear back after applying covers each stage in more detail.
Ready to put this into practice?
Set up Auto Apply →How to Follow Up on a Job Application
Wait a week or two after applying
Unless the posting gave a closing date. Then wait until just after it.
Find a real person to write to
The recruiter or hiring manager named in the posting, the confirmation email or the company’s careers page.
Keep it short and specific
Name the role and the date you applied, say you are still interested, give one reason you fit and ask about next steps.
Follow up once, maybe twice
If there is still no reply after a second note, move on and put the energy into new applications.
A Follow-Up Email You Can Copy
Subject: Following up: [Job title] application, [your name]
Hello [Name],
I applied for the [Job title] role on [date] and my application shows as [status]. I wanted to say I am still very interested. My experience in [one relevant skill or result] matches what the role needs.
Could you let me know where the process stands, or when you expect to make a decision?
Thank you for your time,
[Your name]
[Phone number]
Ready to put this into practice?
Set up Auto Apply →Keep Track of Every Status Without the Spreadsheet
Statuses live in a different portal for every employer, and replies arrive by email, phone and messages. Writing down what you sent and when is what makes follow-ups possible. Our guide to tracking job applications includes a free template.
With MockIF Auto Apply, the record keeps itself:
- Every application on record. Each job, the date, your answers and the CV sent.
- Every reply in one inbox. Applications use your MockIF application email, so employer replies land in your MockIF Inbox, with interview invites and offers flagged as good news.
- A daily report. An email with what went out and what needs you.
When an interview invite arrives, practise for that exact role with an AI mock interview. Auto Apply is free to start with 5 credits, then monthly or 3-monthly plans, or one-off credit packs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “under consideration” mean on a job application?
Is “in review” a good sign?
What does “no longer under consideration” mean?
How long does an application stay “under review”?
Why did my application status not change for weeks?
How do I follow up on a job application?
Every application, and every reply, in one place.
Auto Apply keeps a record of each application and the CV sent, collects employer replies in your MockIF Inbox and flags the good news.
Set up Auto Apply →