iCIMS Application Status Meanings ("Reviewed, Not Selected" & More)

If your iCIMS status reads "Reviewed, Not Selected," that's a rejection for that specific job: a recruiter saw your application and decided not to move forward. If it says "In Progress" or "Under Review," you're still in the running and there's nothing to do but wait. The tricky part is that iCIMS labels are set by each employer, so the exact wording varies. Here's how to read the common ones and what each actually means for you.

The short version: what each status means

iCIMS is the applicant tracking system (ATS) behind a huge number of company career sites. The status you see in your candidate profile reflects where the employer has placed you in their workflow, not some universal code. Still, most statuses fall into a few buckets.

"In Progress" and "Under Review" - you're still alive

These are neutral, active statuses. "In Progress" generally means your application sits in the recruiter's queue and hasn't been ruled out. "Under Review" or "In Review" suggests a human (or a recruiter's screening filter) is actively evaluating applicants for the role.

Neither is a promise of an interview, and neither is a rejection. The honest truth is these statuses can sit unchanged for weeks because hiring teams batch their reviews around req deadlines. Don't read tea leaves into how long it's been; timelines vary wildly by company and role.

"Reviewed, Not Selected" - the polite no

This is the one most people search for, and it means what it sounds like: someone reviewed your application and decided not to advance you for this position. It is a rejection, not a glitch or a holding pattern.

It's not personal in the way it feels at 11pm. "Not selected" often comes down to a stronger-matching pool, missing must-have qualifications, or the role being narrowed after posting. It does not mean you can never work there. You can usually apply to other roles, or the same role if it's reposted as a new requisition later.

A close cousin, "No Longer Under Consideration," carries the same meaning but often shows up after you've had at least one conversation. Same outcome, slightly later in the funnel.

When the status never changes

Here's the frustrating reality: not every employer updates iCIMS statuses, and not every rejection comes with an email. A status that's stuck on "Application Received" or "In Progress" for weeks after the posting closed is frequently a silent no. If you're seeing this pattern, this guide on whether an ATS tells you you've been rejected covers the same dynamic in another system - the behavior is remarkably consistent across ATS platforms.

A few reasonable read-the-room signals:

• The job posting has disappeared from the careers site (often filled or pulled).
• Your status hasn't moved in 3-4 weeks past the apparent close date.
• You got a generic "we'll keep your resume on file" email (usually a closed door, kindly worded).

None of these is a guarantee. But once a role is clearly gone cold, your energy is better spent on the next application than refreshing the portal.

iCIMS vs. other ATS status wording

If you apply broadly, you'll bounce between systems, and the vocabulary shifts even when the meaning doesn't. iCIMS leans toward "Reviewed, Not Selected" and "No Longer Under Consideration." Workday uses "Under Consideration" and "Not Selected," explained in this Workday status glossary. SmartRecruiters uses "In Review" and "Archived," broken down in what SmartRecruiters statuses mean.

The practical takeaway: don't over-interpret a single word. Map any status to one of three states - active, advanced, or closed - and act accordingly.

What to actually do at each stage

• Active (In Progress / Under Review): keep applying elsewhere. A pipeline status is not a job offer, and waiting on one role is how good candidates lose a month.
• Advanced (Interview / Phone Screen): respond within hours, not days. Recruiters move on fast, and responsiveness reads as interest.
• Closed (Not Selected / Position Filled): log it, move on, and note the company for future reqs if you liked the role.

The single best thing you can do is volume done well - more strong, tailored applications, not more time spent decoding one portal. That's exhausting to do by hand, which is where a tool helps. JobRizzer autofills iCIMS and other application forms from your resume and tailors your resume to each posting on Pro; you review every field and hit submit yourself. It won't change a "Not Selected" into an offer, but it makes getting to the next ten applications a lot less painful.

The bottom line

iCIMS statuses are employer-controlled, so treat the exact words as a rough signal, not gospel. "In Progress" means wait, "Reviewed, Not Selected" means it's a no for this role, and a status that never moves usually means a quiet no too. Read the state, take the matching action, and keep your momentum pointed at the next opportunity rather than the last one.