Applying to jobs is as simple as filling out the necessary fields, attaching your polished cover letter and resume, and hitting the send button… right? It turns out that you might be hurting your chances in a way you never thought of: when you’re applying. That’s right — timing your application right can actually help get you noticed during the screening process.
Time does matter.
According to a study by TalentWorks, applications received at 7:30 p.m. were some of the least likely to result in an interview. Only about 3% of applications received at that time resulted in a call-back. And even applications sent after 4:00 p.m. had only a 5% likelihood of a call-back. Those aren’t very good odds!
A much better option is to send your application in the morning hours. Between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. is the perfect window. It turns out that sending off applications at night, after you’ve gotten off work, isn’t the best choice.
Stay at the top of the inbox.
When you send your job applications first thing in the morning, you’re staying at the top of the hiring manager’s inbox. It’s one of the first things they’ll see when they get to the office in the morning. Your application has a much better chance of getting noticed, rather than getting lost in the sea of emails in the manager’s inbox.
This doesn’t mean that you have to wake up at the crack of dawn to send off all your applications. You can set up your application as an email draft, or use an email scheduling service to send it off automatically whenever you choose. Alternatively, you can simply leave the application up in your browser and hit “send” in the morning hours whenever you get a spare moment.
Don’t forget about different time zones.
A final tip: now that you’re thinking about when you’re sending applications, be sure to factor in the recipient’s time zone as well as your own. If you’re sending an application at 7:00 a.m., but the recipient is around the world, they’ll receive it at the worst time.
You’re not alone in your job search. Axiom Staffing Group is here to help. Find out how our staffing service can help by contacting us and visiting our jobs page.
