The waiting game that comes with job hunting is a genuinely uncomfortable experience, and it is one worth remembering vividly from the recruiter's side of the table too, having lived through it personally after first arriving in Australia and applying for a role here.

At the time, the anxiety of not hearing back became overwhelming enough to eventually pick up the phone and simply ask the organisation what was happening with the application. That decision felt genuinely risky in the moment, with a real, nagging fear of coming across as too eager, too desperate, or of somehow jeopardising the entire process just by asking a reasonable question. 

The actual response received was the complete opposite of that fear: a clear, genuinely appreciated update on where things stood, why there had been a delay, and what the realistic next steps would look like from there.

From the other side of the desk now, as a recruiter, few things feel better than hearing from a candidate proactively following up, whether that comes through a text message, a LinkedIn message, a phone call or a simple email. It signals genuine ongoing interest and engagement, which is exactly the kind of candidate most recruiters want to keep front of mind as a process moves forward.

So if you find yourself hesitant to reach out to a recruitment consultant or an internal recruiter to ask what is happening with your application, that hesitation is genuinely worth pushing past. Following up like this does not risk your candidacy the way it might feel like it will in the moment.

If anything, it tends to help your standing rather than hurt it, and it will make you feel significantly more in control of a process that can otherwise feel entirely out of your hands throughout. Treat it as a normal, expected part of the process rather than an imposition, because most recruiters genuinely welcome it.