Job Application Status Meanings: Applied, Under Review, Interviewing, and More

Job application statuses describe where an application sits in an employer's hiring process. Unfortunately, companies and applicant tracking systems use different terms, and the status shown in a portal may not always reflect what is happening behind the scenes.

Treat the label as useful context, not a guarantee that a decision has been made.

Common application statuses

Status	What it usually means	What you should do
Saved	You have recorded the role but have not applied	Decide whether to apply before the deadline
Draft	An application was started but not submitted	Complete it or remove it from your active list
Applied or submitted	The employer received the application	Record the date and continue your search
Application received	The application was successfully recorded by the employer's system	Usually no action is required
In progress	Your application remains somewhere in the hiring workflow	Usually wait unless you have a reason to follow up
Under review	Your application is in a review or screening stage	Continue your search and wait for direct contact
Under consideration	You have not been ruled out, but the exact meaning varies by employer	Usually wait
Screening	The employer is performing an initial evaluation	Be ready for recruiter contact
Recruiter screen	An introductory conversation is planned or complete	Prepare your summary, interest, availability, and practical details
Interviewing	You are participating in the formal interview process	Track each meeting, participant, and next step
Assessment	The employer requested a test, exercise, or presentation	Confirm the deadline and submission requirements
On hold	The hiring process has paused	Ask about timing if you have a contact, then continue applying elsewhere
Position closed	The employer is no longer accepting applications	Check your latest communication before assuming the outcome
Offer	The employer has indicated an intention to hire you	Review the written terms before deciding
No longer under consideration	The employer is not progressing your application	Close the application and move on
Rejected or not selected	The employer has decided not to progress your application	Record the outcome and note any useful feedback
Withdrawn	You chose to end your candidacy	Record why you withdrew

What does "under review" mean?

"Under review" usually means your application has entered an evaluation stage.

It does not necessarily mean a recruiter has personally read your application, and it does not tell you where you rank against other candidates.

Different systems use the status differently. It may mean your application is waiting in a review queue, has been opened by a recruiter, has been included in a screening group, or simply remains active in the employer's system.

Because of that, avoid reading too much into a change from "submitted" to "under review."

Is "under review" a good sign?

It is usually better interpreted as "no visible decision has been made yet" than as a strong positive signal.

Your application may still be active, which is preferable to a clear rejection status, but "under review" does not necessarily mean you have passed an applicant tracking system, been shortlisted, or been selected for an interview.

A direct message from a recruiter, an interview invitation, or a request for additional information is much more meaningful than a portal status alone.

How long can an application stay under review?

There is no standard timeline.

An application might remain under review for a few days, several weeks, or occasionally much longer. Hiring delays can happen because:

• Recruiters are reviewing a large number of applications
• The hiring manager has not yet reviewed the shortlist
• Interviews with other candidates are still underway
• The role has been paused temporarily
• Budget or headcount approval has changed
• The employer updates application statuses in batches
• The portal has not been updated even though the process has moved forward

If the employer provided a hiring timeline, use that as your main guide.

If you have a recruiter or hiring manager contact and the stated timeline has passed, a short follow-up may be reasonable. Otherwise, continue applying elsewhere rather than waiting for one application to change status.

Does "under review" mean I passed the ATS?

Not necessarily.

Some employers may move applications into a review stage after an automated screening step. Others may label nearly every successfully submitted application as under review.

The status alone usually cannot tell you whether you passed an applicant tracking system filter or whether a human has reviewed your resume.

Treat direct communication from the employer as stronger evidence of progress.

What does "in progress" mean?

"In progress" is usually a broad status indicating that your application remains somewhere in the hiring workflow.

It can mean different things depending on the employer. Your application might be waiting for review, actively being screened, moving between internal stages, or waiting for a decision.

"In progress" does not necessarily mean an interview is coming.

If nothing else has happened, continue your job search rather than treating the status as confirmation that you are advancing.

Under review vs under consideration

These statuses are often similar, but they are not standardized.

"Under review" typically suggests that your application is being evaluated or is waiting to be evaluated.

"Under consideration" often means you remain part of the candidate pool and have not yet been ruled out.

However, employers can configure these labels differently, so one company's "under consideration" may be equivalent to another company's "under review."

Do not assume one is better than the other unless the employer has explained its process.

Does "interviewing" mean you are still being considered?

Usually, yes, but the portal status may remain unchanged while interview feedback is being collected.

Your latest direct communication is more reliable than the portal.

For example, if your portal still says "Interviewing" but the recruiter has told you the hiring team is making a final decision, the recruiter's message is the more useful source of information.

Likewise, if the portal still says "Submitted" but you have already completed two interviews, your real-world status is clearly further along than the portal suggests.

What does "no longer under consideration" mean?

This generally means the employer is not progressing your application for that role.

You may receive a separate rejection email, but sometimes the portal status changes before an email arrives.

If you are already in direct contact with a recruiter and the status changes unexpectedly, you can wait for their communication or ask for clarification if appropriate.

Otherwise, treat the application as closed.

Why has my application status not changed?

Application portals often lag behind the real hiring process.

Possible reasons include:

• Recruiters update records in batches
• The company uses internal stages that candidates cannot see
• An integration did not synchronize correctly
• The recruiter has not updated your record
• The requisition was paused or replaced
• The visible status is deliberately broad
• The employer simply does not prioritize candidate-facing status updates

This is why a portal should not be your only source of truth.

An email inviting you to interview is more meaningful than a portal that still says "submitted."

Which should I trust, the application portal or the recruiter?

Trust the latest confirmed direct communication.

If a recruiter tells you that you have moved to the next interview stage, that is more useful than a portal status that has not changed.

Similarly, if you have received a rejection email but the portal still says "Under Review," the rejection email should be treated as the actual outcome.

Your own job application tracker should reflect confirmed events rather than trying to perfectly mirror every employer's portal.

Why job application statuses sometimes look wrong

Application portals are built primarily for employers to manage hiring workflows. The candidate-facing status is often a simplified version of a much more detailed internal process.

The employer might internally track stages such as:

• Recruiter review
• Hiring manager review
• Shortlist
• Phone screen
• First interview
• Panel interview
• Reference checks
• Compensation approval
• Offer approval

Yet candidates might only see "Under Review" throughout most of that process.

That is why small portal changes should not become the main way you judge whether an application is going well.

Keep your own stages simple

You do not need to copy every status used by every employer.

For personal tracking, a small number of stages is usually enough:

Saved, Applied, Interview, Offer, Rejected, and Withdrawn.

You can record more detail through notes, dates, contacts, and next actions.

For example, the employer's portal may still say "Under Review," but your own tracker can say "Interview" because you received an invitation yesterday.

That makes your tracker more useful because it reflects what has actually happened.

Track confirmed events, not portal speculation

Every active application should answer two questions:

What is the latest confirmed event?

When should I review this application again?

That might mean:

• Applied September 10
• Recruiter screen September 15
• Waiting for second interview dates
• Follow up September 22 if there is no response

This gives you something actionable to work from instead of repeatedly checking whether a portal changed from "Under Review" to another vague label.

Learn more about treating your job search like a pipeline, or use ApplyArc's job application tracker to keep stages and communication connected.

Put the guidance into practice

ApplyArc helps you keep your job search organized even when employer portals are vague or inconsistent.

You can:

• Try the free job application tracker
• Download the job application tracker spreadsheet
• Analyze a job posting before you apply

Instead of trying to interpret every portal status, keep your own record of applications, interviews, contacts, and next actions.

Related job search guides

How Long Should You Wait to Follow Up After an Interview?

Learn when to follow up after a job interview, what to say, and how to handle missed hiring timelines without sending too many messages.

Should You Keep Applying After Getting an Interview?

Yes, keep applying after your first interview. Learn how to balance interview preparation with maintaining a healthy job-search pipeline until an offer is accepted.