You had a great conversation. They promised to follow up. Now it's radio silence. Days turn to weeks. You're left wondering: should I follow up again? Move on?
Here's the truth: don't wait. Take action.
You're not alone. Recruiter ghosting is one of the most frustrating parts of job searching.
You nailed the phone screen. They said 'we'll be in touch this week.' That was 3 weeks ago.
You've sent 2 polite follow-up emails. Nothing. You don't want to seem desperate but you need answers.
Other opportunities are slipping by while you wait for this one recruiter to respond.
This recruiter was your only contact at the company. If they ghost, you're stuck.
"I interviewed with a recruiter at Google. They said I was a 'great fit' and they'd get back to me 'within the week.' It's been a month. I've followed up twice. Nothing."
— Reddit r/recruitinghell
Don't panic. Here's a practical game plan.
Recruiters handle 50-100+ candidates at once. They're not ignoring you specifically—they're overwhelmed.
A final, brief check-in is professional. After that, it's time to move on.
Search for other recruiters or hiring managers at the same company. Sometimes a different door opens.
Never put all your eggs in one basket. Reach out to 10+ companies, not just one.
Your job search shouldn't depend on one person responding.
One recruiter ghosted? There are usually 5-20 more. Reach out to someone who will respond.
Skip LinkedIn. Email lands in their inbox and gets read—even if they're busy.
With access to multiple contacts, your job search doesn't depend on a single recruiter.
Proactive outreach beats passive waiting. Reach more people. Get more responses.
Type the company name in our search. We'll show you all recruiters we have on file.
See job titles, departments, and locations. Find someone who might handle roles like yours.
Get their email. Send a thoughtful message. Get back in the running.
Subject: Quick question about [Role Title] opportunity
Hi [Name],
I recently applied for the [Role Title] position at [Company] and had some initial conversations with your team. I'm reaching out because I'm genuinely excited about this opportunity and wanted to connect with someone who might have visibility into the hiring process.
I bring [brief 1-sentence value prop]. Would you be open to a brief conversation about whether this role might be a fit?
Thanks for your time,
[Your Name]
Keep it brief, professional, and value-focused. Don't mention being ghosted.