For those on the job hunt today, sorry but your odds of landing an interview have fallen significantly in the last 24 hours.
It turns out that data compiled by U.S. job site Bright.com validates what employment experts have preached forever – early birds have better odds of being hired while latecomers are overlooked the longer they wait.
The website combed over half a million job applications made through it over 2012 and analyzed how many were converted into follow-up interviews requests.
If found that 30 per cent of applications made on a Monday resulted in an expression of interest from an employer, a rate that fell off steadily as the week progresses (see graph below). On Tuesdays, for example, the conversion rate is 20 per cent, or 33 per cent lower than if you’d applied a day earlier.
Another shocker: Applying on a Saturday isn’t the most sound strategy for netting a call or interview with only 14 per cent of all applicants moving to the next stage of hiring.
Oddly, Sunday fares far better than its weekend companion, with 23 per cent of applicants getting a call.
Bright.com didn’t offer up much of an explanation for the findings. “We don’t know what underlies these numbers,” a post on the company’s blog says.
“It could be that applying to a job on a Monday gives the hiring manager time to take a longer look at an application and discuss it with colleagues, whereas submitting an application towards the end of the week makes it more likely to get lost in the end-of-the-week rush and subsequently fall through the cracks.”
Still, if you do find yourself hitting send on some applications today, don’t feel too bad – you’re far from alone. The report also noted that Tuesdays are the busiest day of the week for job seekers, with nearly 40 per cent of all applications sent out.
Good luck.
Comments