What is the best time of day to send resumes?

Your resume is an important document – one you have invested a lot of time getting right. But no matter what your resume says about you, it’s important that it receives due attention from a hiring manager, and the time of sending resumes can have a big impact on whether yours’ gets noticed.

Here’s a look at the best day and time to send resumes to ensure you attract a hiring manager’s attention.

When you send a resume matters

It’s important to plan when you send resumes because even though you may be eager to send a resume off, you need to give yourself the best opportunity of having your resumes reviewed by a hiring manager.

Ideally, you want your resume to be one of the first things a hiring manager sees when he or she starts work on a Monday morning.

To achieve this goal, aim to send your resume late Sunday or very early Monday morning – certainly before business hours. It’s understandable that you will be concerned about competing with other applicants. But when you send your resume at these times, you are more likely to be at the top of the hiring manager’s email inbox at the start of the working week.

When you send resumes early – preferably before 9am, you also demonstrate that you are up and actively working on your job search.

Also, if you send resumes late Sunday or first thing Monday, you have the entire weekend to review your resume and make sure it addresses every point in the job ad including the skills and experience needed to tackle the role.

The best time to send resumes mid-week

The rules change slightly if you come across a suitable job vacancy early in the week, and you want to send your resume immediately without letting time slip by.

If you plan to send your resume between Tuesday and Thursday, time your email so that your resume reaches the hiring manager between 10am and 2pm. This way you avoid the morning rush, when the hiring manager may be in meetings. But you have the benefit of attracting the hiring manager’s attention when they return refreshed from a lunch break.

Try not to send resumes on a Friday

The reality is that Fridays can see office teams wind down a little, or focus on wrapping up loose ends for the week, while leaving major projects until the start of the following week. For this reason, Fridays and in particular, Friday afternoons, should be avoided when it comes to sending resumes.

It can also useful to avoid sending resumes on a Friday because you may be tired from the preceding week. Fatigue can increase the chance of your resume containing errors or not fully addressing the requirements of the role.

No matter when you choose to send resumes, take a few minutes to double check that every detail is correct. Run a spell check, and be sure you have tailored your resume and cover letter to the company and the role in question.

One last step – double check the email address you send resumes to. Something as simple as an incorrect email address can mean your resume never makes it to the hiring manager.

With some careful planning, the timing of when to send resumes can make a big difference in landing the role that is right for you.