To apply for a job the day before the closing date

[WildPineapple]

I’m applying for a job and the closing date is tomorrow. Chatting to DH and he thinks that applying the day before the closing date shows a lack of enthusiasm for the job and that in a lot of cases they close the post early due to having enough applicants. I’m freaking out now!

I also applied recently for another position and DH said I made zero effort with the application as I didn’t phone the company to discuss the position? He said it looks bad if you don’t check in before sending in your application and it might look like you are not that bothered? I made a huge effort with that application but didn’t phone the company to ask questions?

What nonsense, good luck with your application OP.

Unless he works in recruitment and has any valuable advice I would be curious about why he’s not supporting you in your job search?

I have literally never applied for a job until the closing day. And I’ve never not got an interview. For my current (very senior, third sector) job, my application was technically an hour late. 😆

For every role I have ever recruited for, we’ve received 90% of the applications (and generally all the best ones) on the final day.

And the ringing to discuss thing is just weird. Your DH is giving you extremely poor advice, imo.

I’ve done this- I came back from travelling and didn’t see the job advert until a couple of days before it closed- and I wanted to write a good application so only got it in just in time. (I got the job). Also phoning the company seems performative- unless there is genuinely something you need to know. People want an easy life- they don’t need hundreds of applicants phoning them to ask questions just to try and make themselves stand out.

Is this an MN first?

Unless I've missed a post the verdict is unanimous, ignore the husband ( and maybe tell his he knows nothing);😂

100% this. I usually get over 100 applications when I advertise a job. The shortlist will usually be heavily weighted towards the last 20% to submit

I don't pay any attention to when people apply when recruiting. They could have been on holiday,.or busy, or unwell, or only just spotted the advert. An application is an application! It's the content that matters.

One of my favourite jobs and the one I stayed in the longest was the one I spotted -and applied for- two hours before it closed.

Of course it won't put them off. Do it op do they even look at when it was submitted? You could have the earliest application out in by the worst candidate 🙄

I'm getting the vibes your dh just doesn't want you to apply......

Ignore him! Apply! If you don't get it you don't get it, but not even trying makes no sense.

Your DH sounds very keen to show his superior knowledge... Hopefully he has some good points... Best of luck with the application!

I've just got an interview for a job I sent in application at 2pm with a 4pm close on that day.
I'd started it a few weeks before but then went away and had other stuff going on that meant I just couldn't get it in until then. I did join an applicant forum they had about it too.

Even in education it's by no means a universal requirement to make contact first. Yes if it's highly specialist (eg a special school with a specific ethos) or it's a senior leadership role. Not at all for most bog-standard teaching jobs. Frankly, recruitment is so dire that you can get an interview as long as you've got QTS and can breathe whilst standing upright.

I do think this is a thing with some NHS posts so maybe that’s where he’s got it from. I’ve seen some adverts mention that they may close early if a certain amount of applications are received but I don’t think it’s common across sectors. Good luck!

If he works in the NHS that makes sense. I'm an HR Director in the NHS and for some roles we do close early where there are a lot of applicants. (although less and less these days :( ) he's wrong about it showing less interest. In the NHS applications usually go straight to the manager rather than HR like some people have said, however the manager won't care when it was recieved. For senior level jobs in the NHS if you don't contact the namesd person in the advert it WILL go against you, but not for entry level roles. I have always rang if there is a person names in the advert, for all roles even when I was in my early twenties. Getting shortlisted is hard and anything that can set you apart from others is good. Also they can tell you what the main drivers and issues are, so you can tailor your application. You know your industry, but if they is a named person. Then I would ring, to express your enthusias and make your application personal to them.

They won't care how soon before the deadline it is submitted. Make sure you write about what's in the person spec. Also as a recruiting manager I always think it's good to call ahead and have a discussion with them as it shows more interest. So that may go in your favour, even if you call on Tuesday with a few questions. It's bank holiday so likely they won't start shortlisting til then anyway

This was back in the late 90s and it was only one deputy head pgce mentor who was insistent on this.

I wasn't in teaching for long.

OP there is nothing to lose by applying.

However from my personal experience experience of being a hiring manager in various corporate roles for many years some of the stuff people are talking about (interview panels, reviewing all applications after a close date) don’t carry over. My experience was that I would start reviewing CVs once we had a suitable bunch in and start interviewing the best candidates. We typically didn’t put a close date but would keep over until we had a candidate who has accepted an offer. On a practical basis it is easier to get selected for interview if you were in the early waves as we would typically push forward candidates we liked to second rounds and then only interview more if really outstanding or those candidates weren’t working out in the process. This is particularly the case for junior roles, more flex when you need senior specialists of whom there aren’t many

Why, you might ask, do we not wait for a few weeks and review everyone? Well we are hiring because we have more work than people so the sooner we hire the sooner the pressure eases on us. Plus in tough economic climates mandates to hire can be pulled by management on no notice so it is in my interest to hire at speed before my window slams shut - it is happened to me more than I once before.

I recently hired for a junior and we got over 100 applicants in the first 3 days, I think over 300 in total.

I work in nhs and recruit lots. I don’t notice when people apply as the date it the date. But calling before is an nhs thing.

as for contacting about the position. I always find it a good way to understand the role. I do have a few niche roles in my team and I find those that do best have contacted me first to understand the roles. But I wouldn’t hold that against them. I appoint from the interview, just find it helps with prep.

I remember when I had to apply for a role I was seconded into for 3 years to be made permanent. I applied and the day of the interview my boss called me to say she’d was worried about my interview as I hadn’t contacted her to discuss the role. It was a role I was doing for 3 years and knew and was now wondering if I hadn’t done it well. She admitted afterwards that she had never interviewed someone who hadn’t contacted her. Totally odd

Also on this “call to show interest”, personally no thank you for junior roles. I got a few people who contacted me via LinkedIn for my last role who were pushy about wanting to speak and it really put me off. Remember, hundreds of applicants - so I can speak to you if you make the cut when you come in for interview, quite bluntly I simply cannot make the time to speak to entry level applicants unless they are outstanding.

Senior specialist roles that is different, yes I would be willing to speak informally.

I appreciate that other industries and sectors may vary.

Your husband is very unsupportive 😢

I have had late candidates added to a shortlist for interview and hired them .
One in particular was a godsend because the calibre of the rest wasn’t too great !

Good luck 🤞

Well I’ve never heard of phoning beforehand to get more of a lowdown on a job advertised online (Indeed, etc). I’d imagine that would be very irritating after HR have received their two hundredth call.

How strange. I’m usually applying in the last few minutes before the closing time - 11:50 if it closes at 11:59pm! I’m about to start a new job and I actually applied after the closing date.

I think it’s a good idea to call the hiring manager if you get an interview. It always gives a good impression and helps set you up for the interview, I appreciate it when someone makes that effort. I can’t be faffed with people who want to discuss before applying though - imagine if all 120 applicants for the last job I sifted had wanted to do that!

We've done a few rounds of recruitment recently, and generally, the first ones are the worst ones, They just throw in a standard CV and cover letter that talks about them but not about the job and why they fit. I could (but wouldn't) delete everything we get in the first two days and very rarely miss a candidate we'd want to interview.

Conversely, people who get them in just before the deadline tend to be pretty decent, they have bothered to get it over the line as they really want the job where as others just let it go. Sometimes I've done the bulk of the shortlisting before it closes but I almost always find one or two in the last day that change things.

There may be a question if the deadline day people are disorganised at work too, but they did get it in and it's not a major consideration. I've even accepted people after the deadline with a good excuse and an apology, I'd rather get the best person.

On phoning: if it's an entry level post we get so many applications it's not practical, if it's a senior level one I end up shortlisting based on the call and the application, a lot of them end up getting interviews, but I'd be more inclined to call about one I really wanted, so that makes things a bit different. If you are a good candidate you will still get through so it's not vital, but maybe it up's your chances 10%.

I am heavily involved in hiring and interviewing at my company.

The closing date is the closing date. I wouldn’t be bothered if someone applied one minute before application closing time. I will take a look through applications before it closes but this doesn’t impact my decision. It just gives me less work as I can filter out my immediate no list. When you apply doesn’t mean you’re not as interested, you might have just come across the job role.

I’ve actually hired someone before who missed the advert by 5 days. They emailed our company with their CV and covering letter stating they’d just come across our closed job application and they were gutted to have missed. I compared their CV to everyone who had applied and they were exactly what I was looking for. They interviewed amazing too.

apparently some job adverts can close early he said when they have enough applicants

This has happened at my company before too. There have been a few times we’ve been absolutely inundated with applicants and after having a glance through we’ve had more than enough with what we’re looking for. The job application would be taken offline and closed though, so you wouldn’t be able to apply anymore.

In terms of calling to discuss the role, I think this would actually annoy me if it was for an entry level job. I would presume that you didn’t understand the job spec and hadn’t had much experience. So I would ignore him.