Why applying for jobs on Tuesdays boosts your hiring odds

Job seekers hear a variety of tips on how to stand out among other applicants, though one lesser-known hack is that applying on certain days of the week can give you a leg up. 

Tuesday is the best day to apply for new jobs, according to data from ZipRecruiter. That’s the day when the most jobs are posted, and applying early can substantially boost your odds of getting an interview and getting hired.

That’s because employers on the hiring platform frequently get so many qualified applicants within the first 48 hours of posting that they won’t even review others that come in later, according to ZipRecruiter.

“It’s absolutely true that we’re on top of it right away when people start applying,” said Shayna Royal, director of recruiting at HR software firm Paycor. “And once we hit a critical mass, those positions usually do end up being taken down, a lot faster than they were a year or two ago,” she said.

Even as the great resignation has mostly drawn to a close, the labor market is still tight and people are still quitting and moving into new roles. The amount of applications Paycor has received this year is up 114% compared to the same time last year, Royal said.

The ZipRecruiter findings run contrary to some past assumptions that Sunday is the best day to apply, based on the idea that recruiters would return from the weekend refreshed and ready to tackle freshly sent resumes.

Instead, there are 2% less active job postings on Sundays than Tuesday. If you’re applying for jobs Sunday, they’ve likely been up for several days already. 

“It is definitely important to be applying as quickly as you can once a position has been posted."

Shayna Royal, director of recruiting, Paycor.

Accordingly, job seekers should sign up for email alerts and browse postings frequently — especially on Tuesdays through Thursdays — to up their odds. After Tuesdays, the next best days to send in an application are Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

People can get discouraged as well on hiring sites when they see how many applicants they’re up against once a posting has been up for a few days, Royal said. 

“It is definitely important to be applying as quickly as you can once a position has been posted,” she said.

Larger companies often receive hundreds of applicants within the first days of posting a job, said Marissa Morrison, vp of people at ZipRecruiter.

“And as you can imagine, it takes some time to go through those applications,” she said. 

Does time of day matter?

Submitting an application first thing in the morning can increase one’s chances of having a recruiter review it that very day, according to Indeed. Job seekers can also submit them late at night so they are at the top of the pile the next day. 

“The key is to just get someone’s eyes on your resume,” Royal said. 

It’s not advised to submit applications in the afternoon, when recruiters are likely finishing other parts of their day’s work and might forget to review it that day, and even the next. 

What about time of year?

The beginning of a new year is a great time to hunt for a new job, as companies renew their budgets and form hiring goals for the year during January and February, according to Indeed.

Summer months are the worst to apply, when it’s often slower with recruiters and other company decision makers away on vacations.