What to say when calling?

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Hello,

I turned in an application for a restaurant on Sunday and have not heard anything yet but my friend who works there suggested I call and ask if I got the job. I have no idea what to say however. Do I just ask If I got the job? Thank you.

I would wait until tomorrow to call. I think 3-4 days between turning in an application and following up is standard. Two days seems like jumping the gun a bit, especially since the application was submitted on a Sunday (not a business day even though they were open).

"Hello, my name is [name]. I submitted an application for [job title] on Sunday and I am wondering about the status of my application."

If they don't give you a real answer i.e. say they haven't decided yet/will get back to you, ask them when they will call and let you know. Typical time would be 1-2 weeks tops, I would think. Something like "Okay, great. When should I expect your call if I get the job?" Even if they don't give a specific time frame, reply "I look forward to hearing from you soon."

Then before you hang up, say "Thank you, bye." Even if they didn't give an answer, you should always say thank you because they spent the time talking to you and it makes them see you as respectful and nice, which may make them more likely to hire you.

*If you don't hear from them in about two weeks after you call, apply elsewhere.

In the past when I have followed up on applications I have framed the conversation like this....once you have the person responsible for overseeing the application process.

"Good afternoon. My name is Shark Sandwich and I recently submitted an application for _______________ position at your restaurant. I was calling to see if you have had time to review my application and to answer any questions that you may have."

If they say "No, we haven't had time yet but we'll let let ya know soon ( or something similar)

You might say something like "Thank you for your time. I will look forward to hearing from you soon".

If they reply "No, but we filled that position with someone else

You might reply "Sorry to hear that, it was a position that I know I could have done well at. Thank you for your consideration. If a similar opportunity becomes available in the near future I hope that you'll consider me for that position" (Always sounds positive, polite, and willing. You never know, something may go wrong on the managers end, and he needs to fill a spot quick. I would think that someone that made a positive impression would be the person he/she remembers and calls first.


Not sure what kind of restaurant jobs you have applied for. Having worked at a lot of restaurants both in the kitchen and on the wait staff I can tell you that turnover can be pretty high. Most managers at the fast food and corporate chain level restaurants are looking for someone that can be dependable, flexible, and can work their station. Another thing they look for is adaptability .... meaning can this person potentially work a different station in the kitchen or dining room with a little additional training in the event I need to fill a position quickly. (someone gets sick, quits unexpectedly, to cover a busy time, etc.)

I would also suspect that if they are hiring for a certain position that they will narrow the list of applicants down to 2 or 3 and then call to interview those people.

I would think that calling to follow up will show true interest in the job. (There are a lot of people that don't) Best of Luck.