In your excitement of searching for a dream job, you’re probably eager to hit apply immediately after finding a potentially sweet gig. But the next time you do find an amazing job opening, take the time to consider the day of the week.
A 2013 study by Bright.com (currently out of circulation) showed that job seekers who applied to jobs on Saturdays were the least likely to move on in the application process, with only 14% of candidates receiving a response for an interview. Even more surprising: the one day everyone seems to dread the most is also the best possible day for you to send out a job application. That’s right: Submit your applications on Mondays! 30% of Monday applications move forward in the process.
Use the weekend for prep
If you’re an employed job seeker, you may think that the only time you really have to apply is on the weekend, but doing that actually hurts your chances of getting an interview. Think about it this way: when you’re relaxing on the weekend, do you want to reply to your work emails? Well, neither do recruiters or hiring managers.
When you apply on the weekend, your application will get buried by a ton of other weekend resumes, and will likely be ignored for the fresh stack that comes in Monday morning. Instead, use the weekend to prep and tailor your cover letters for each job. Create email drafts and follow up dates for yourself in JobHero. On Monday, when you get out for your lunch break or find some free time, hit send.
Other days fare a lot worse
You may think other weekdays compare favorably to Mondays, but there’s a large decrease in success rate each subsequent day. Tuesdays (the day when most applications are sent) see a 10% drop, as do Wednesdays. Thursday through Sunday just keeps getting worse. So, the next time you suffer from the Monday blues, play the best job search odds and take the time to apply for the jobs you found and tracked over the past week.