The Best Time to Apply To a Gig

When applying for a new job, you need to understand there isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Many people have different opinions regarding when the best time is to submit your application or resume. Every position and hiring cycle will be a bit different from the next. Even if you got the timing “just right” in the past that may not hold true in the future. You can apply to any gig at any time, but each company may make decisions on a different timeline.

All of this is to say that there really is no “one magic answer” when it comes to when to apply to a gig. It will all depend on the hiring company, what they’re looking for, the size of the applicant pool and how urgent their needs happen to be. Having said that, there are a few key strategies that you can use on your job search to increase your chances of success moving forward.

When to Submit Your Job Application: An Overview

In many situations, the best time to submit your job application and apply to a gig is as soon after the job listing goes live as you can manage. Keep in mind that for every day a job listing is online, your competition is only increasing. By submitting very quickly after the job listing is created, oftentimes you can put yourself right at the top of the applicant pool in a way that helps you stand out from everyone else.

Along the same lines, you may also be able to find success by applying right before the job itself starts. If a job listing says that a position is beginning in the first week of December and it’s currently the last week of November, this can mean only one thing: that company still needs people and they haven’t yet found the perfect applicant they were looking for. Therefore, it would be a shame to let the opportunity pass you by just because you think the listing has been “up” for too long.

Finally, whenever possible always try to submit your job application A) in the morning, and B) at the beginning of the week. Studies have been done that show that Mondays are usually a great day to land in a recruiter’s inbox, as they’ve yet to get bogged down in their responsibilities for the week and really have the time to devote to an application like yours.

Don’t Wait for a ‘Perfect’ Time

But again – there is no “one perfect time” to apply to a gig because such a thing doesn’t really exist. Overall, pay close attention to the listing itself and see if you can judge how urgently a position needs to be filled. Oftentimes just paying attention to these little details is a great way to give yourself a leg up over your competitors, thus bringing your job search to a close in the most satisfying way possible.

About the Author: Stephen Lilley earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Over the last decade as a professional writer he has written more than 15,000 unique pieces of content in areas ranging from entertainment to technology to finance, real estate and more.