Are You Sending Your Job Application Pieces at the Wrong Time of Day?

Although it may seem like a trivial detail, considering the time of day and also the day of the week that you submit a job application or e-mail an employer your resume, video resume, and cover letter may affect how successful you are as a job seeker. Crazy, right? Having and applying this knowledge, however, is an incredibly easy way to help maximize your job search success.

According to data on e-mail trends (source: Job Search Hacker), e-mails sent between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM have the highest chance of being opened. Additionally, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the days that e-mail opening peaks. Monday is also a good day to send an e-mail if these three days aren’t an option.

As a job seeker, you can utilize these patterns and share or e-mail your application pieces to an employer at the optimal time. By sending this message in the morning during the work week—when employers are at their desk and checking their e-mail—you can give yourself an edge over other job seekers.

In addition, avoid sending e-mails late at night. There are several reasons that career experts advise against this. First, how annoying would it be to hear your phone’s new e-mail notification when you’re in bed trying to sleep? If the employer is awake, he/she may scan the e-mail but most likely forget to respond to it in the morning. Second, the employer may be suspicious about you being up so late. Is the job seeker sending it now because he/she is a procrastinator? What was the job seeker doing up at 2:00 AM before the e-mail was sent? Avoid these kinds of suspicions by following the guidelines and sending your e-mail in the morning.

If you’re putting a lot of quality time into your application pieces (which I hope you are!), then don’t let something as small as sending these things to an employer at the wrong time of day hinder your success. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be one stop closer to landing that job!