A Definitive Guide To Applying for Jobs on the Weekend

Applying for jobs is an important part of advancing your career. Often, people who are applying for jobs while fulfilling other commitments choose to apply for jobs over the weekend. If you're searching for a new job, it's important to understand how to submit an effective job application at the time that works best for you, including on the weekend.

In this article, we discuss the best time to apply for a job and provide tips for submitting applications during the weekend.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Job Applications

When is the best time to apply for a job?

The day and time that you submit your application may affect how likely it is to be seen by recruiters, as many recruiters work a standard workweek, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's helpful for your application to be near the top of their inbox or list of new applications, so submitting in the morning can be a useful tactic.

It can also be helpful to submit applications during the workweek, especially Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Here are some factors to keep in mind about each day of the week:

• Saturday or Sunday: A hiring manager may be unlikely to check their email over the weekend. This means that they may not see an application submitted on Saturday or Sunday until Monday morning, along with a potentially large batch of other weekend communications.

• Monday: On Mondays, some hiring managers may be tired or have a large number of emails from the weekend to look through, which may make them less likely to see your application. Other hiring managers may feel energized on Monday mornings, so how well this day works for application submissions may vary.

• Tuesday through Thursday: These days are prime options for job submissions. Many companies post jobs in the first half of the workweek, so submitting applications on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday may help ensure that you're one of the first candidates considered.

• Friday: On Friday, many hiring managers may focus on finishing other tasks before the weekend begins. Submitting your application on this day may mean that they put it aside until Monday, and it may be at the bottom of the pile of applications submitted over the weekend.

Different hiring managers may have different opinions or schedules, so these projections may vary. While keeping them in mind may help get a reviewer to look at your application, it's more important to make sure that what you submit is the best possible reflection of who you are as an employee. This means that it may be worth taking the time to complete a thorough application, regardless of the day you ultimately submit it.

Related: How To Apply for a Job in 6 Easy and Effective Steps

Is applying for jobs on the weekend OK?

You can apply for jobs on the weekend, especially if that is when you have time to put together the best application possible. While the timing of your application may affect some hiring processes, for many others, the exact date or time of submission doesn't affect the selection process. This is especially true for companies that use applicant tracking systems (ATS), which automatically sort candidates and present them for review. It's useful to prioritize email applications during the workweek submission period and save applications that use ATS for the weekend.

There are also many other steps in the job application process that you may complete over the weekend. You might use your weekend time to search for new opportunities and prepare your applications as much as possible before submission. For instance, you could write a new cover letter, improve your resume or update your portfolio. You may even choose to prepare a specific application in full, write the associated email and save it as a draft to send Monday or Tuesday morning.

Related: 10 Tips for Completing a Job Application To Get an Interview

Tips for job searching during the weekend

Here are some more tips for searching and applying for jobs during the weekend:

Use the weekend for networking

Referrals can be an excellent way to improve your chance of getting an interview. Consider using your weekend time to contact people in your professional network who work at companies or in positions that interest you. You can ask these individuals if they're willing to tell you about their position or if they would be comfortable referring you to an open position. These communications are likely to be more casual, so you may have a higher chance of receiving a response on the weekend.

Related: 10 Tips To Help You Network Like a Pro

Get feedback on your materials

The weekend can also be a useful time to send your cover letter or resume to a friend or colleague to review. Friends are more likely to have time to share on the weekends, and they may be happy to help you with your job search. These individuals can make useful proofreaders or offer helpful feedback about what to include in your materials.

Craft an effective subject line in your email

If you apply for a job on the weekend, consider adding the job title or other keywords to the subject line of your email. This can help make your email easy to search, which is helpful if it's part of a large assortment of emails collected over the weekend. You might also consider best practices for writing subject lines, like keeping them concise and free of grammatical errors.

Related: Job Application Email: What It Is and How To Write One (Template and Examples Included)

Try testing it for yourself

If you want to know more about which day works best, including weekend days, you can test it for yourself. Try submitting applications at different times, and keep track of which day of the week and what time of day that you submit each one. Once you begin to get responses, see if you notice any recurring patterns. If you notice a certain time that results in more responses, you might continue to submit applications at that specific time.