If you’re looking for a job, speed is your friend.
That’s because, like in business itself, there is often a first-mover advantage for job seekers who respond quickly to open roles and overtures from employers, according to data from job sites.
Applying to a role within the first 10 minutes of getting a relevant job alert can boost your chance of hearing back by as much as four times, LinkedIn found.
Haste can also pay off throughout the process, especially when it comes to responding to those doing the hiring.
In the US, job seekers who reply to a prospective employer’s message within 24 hours are 4.1 times as likely to get hired and 6.7 times as likely to get an interview, according to data Indeed shared with Business Insider.
“Speed is not just an edge, it’s a signal,” said Patrice Lindo, CEO of Career Nomad, a platform that helps professionals navigate career changes. “It says, ‘I’m ready. I’m visible. I’m serious. I’m a decision-maker.'”
She recommends that clients apply for jobs within the first four to eight hours of seeing a posting.
“They’re far more likely to be seen and even considered,” Lindo told BI.
A sign of intent
The difference that speed can make matters because, for many desk workers, the pace of hiring has gone from blazing fast a few years ago to sluggish.
The overall job market remains strong, yet some companies are taking their time to hire as they try to gain insights into factors such as how tariff vacillations could affect the economy and how quickly artificial intelligence could take on certain tasks.
That’s why, in this market, moving quickly isn’t a sign of desperation, but rather of intent, Lindo said.
Another reason to be speedy is that once an employer has a sufficient number of résumés, they’re likely to stop looking at whatever else trickles in, Susan Peppercorn, an executive and career coach, told BI.
She advises clients that, most of the time, it’s not worth it to apply for a role when the number of applicants reaches 100.
Peppercorn, like Lindo, said that moving fast can send a positive signal when communicating with a would-be employer.
“Responding within 24 hours anybody can do, but responding within the first hour shows that you’re really, really interested,” Peppercorn said.
Doing your homework quickly
Moving fast doesn’t give you a license to be sloppy, of course. It’s still better to tailor your applications to each job and to include a cover letter that, at the very least, mentions the employer’s name and the role you’re going after.
Customizing an application while also moving fast can be challenging, but it’s doable if you’re prepared. Lindo likened it to how a pregnant woman might prepare a bag packed with essentials for the hospital. Translation: Have a strong résumé ready to go.
That way, it only needs small adjustments, depending on the opportunity, she said.
Peppercorn recommends limiting what you tweak to create a solid but speedy application. She said job applicants should focus on the top summary section of their résumé and, where possible, leave the other sections alone.
The edits you make to the top should incorporate some of the key words contained in the job posting, Peppercorn said.
While it’s a good idea to include a cover letter, she said, the software that many employers use to collate applications often strips off that layer to focus on the résumé itself. So, Peppercorn said, a perfunctory cover letter with some modest customization might often suffice.
In any case, don’t take too long. Otherwise, you risk missing out because some employers close openings within five to 10 days, Lindo said.
Even if an employer doesn’t take down a listing, if you’re still perfecting your résumé on day eight, “you’ve already missed the window,” she said.
Lindo added that some employers are likely to think that applicants who move quickly would also apply that approach to the job.
“It’s an indicator of how you will operate if you were to be chosen,” she said.
Do you have a story to share about your job search? Contact this reporter at tparadis@businessinsider.com.
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