The Best Day of the Week To Apply For a Job
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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After what seemed like an unending slump, the job market finally seems to be on the uptick. In June, payrolls grew by 207,000. The unemployment rate has dropped from 3.7% in May to 3.6% currently. So, if you’re looking for a job, things are looking up.
Career experts say there is another tip that could bolster your chances of being hired: applying on the right day of the week. Read on to see which day is best to apply for a job.
Think Like a Hiring Manager
Imagine you are a hiring manager with tons of resumes to parse through every week. Chances are, the day you’ll be most clear-headed is Monday, since you’ve had a break from work and are ready to tackle the workweek. “There are a few reasons why Monday might be the best day to apply for a job,” said Travis Lindemoen, founder of Enjoy Mondays. “Hiring managers are typically fresh and motivated at the beginning of the week, so they may be more likely to review applications.”
Wendy Makinson is an HR Manager at Joloda Hydraroll, and says applying on a Monday is a great idea, especially if the job you’re looking at is for a smaller company. “The candidate ‘hunt’ is likely to be a priority for the hiring manager, so it’ll be fresh in their mind from the very start of the week!” Makinson said.
Strike When Needs Are High
Another great reason to apply on a Monday is because you’re catching offices in a time when they might really feel the absence of the role you’re applying for. “Mondays are when vacancies tend to be felt most strongly within an organization. Having your name fresh in a hiring manager’s mind as the working week shapes up and assignments are delegated could well influence things in your favor,” said James Lloyd-Townshend, chairman and CEO at Anderson Frank.
Weed Out the Competition
Lindemoen says that applying on a Monday puts you at the top of the heap of people looking for a job. “There is less competition on Monday, as most people don’t start applying for jobs until later in the week.”
Work To Your Strengths
When you apply on a Monday, you can use the whole weekend to perfect your resume and cover letter. “Applying on Monday could help you deliver the best possible application, especially if you’re currently working a full-time job,” Scott Lieberman, founder of TouchdownMoney.com, said. “While timing your application to the HR person’s schedule could be important, it’s way more important to make your application as strong as it can be. If you have all weekend to freshen up your resume and work on your application, you’ll have a better chance of getting hired.”
By giving yourself a few days to complete the application, you can even email it to a friend or trusted colleague to give it a glance and add thoughts before sending it in.
Look At When the Job Was Posted
More important than the day of the week you apply is when the job was posted. If it’s a few weeks old, it might not even be worth applying. “The early worm is often the best,” said Mark Anthony Dyson, founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. “Historically, when jobs were printed in the paper on Sunday, people were up early to receive the newspaper and would apply. The same principle applies if you know when the platform publishes jobs.”
Dyson says if you want to work for a specific company, visit their website often to catch their job postings as soon as they go live. “Another consideration is to create a Google alert for jobs you want. Use Google’s suggestions on search, and alerts can come to your Gmail once a day. Use different titles to fit your skill set, i.e., ‘salesperson,’ ‘sales associate’ or ‘sales consultant,'” Dyson said.
Don’t Apply Right Before the Weekend
Are you trying to do work at 4 p.m. on a Friday? Neither are hiring managers. “Later in the week, professionals are often caught up in meetings, wrapping up projects and may not dedicate as much time to reviewing applications,” said Andrew Latham, the managing editor at Supermoney.com.
If you can’t apply on a Monday for some reason, still aim for Tuesday, so you don’t get lost in the Friday shuffle. “By applying on Tuesday, you’re still responding promptly, but you’re also allowing a bit of time for any potential modifications or updates to the job description that might occur after the initial posting,” Latham said.
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