The Early Bird Gets the Job -- And Sometimes the Late One

By Marty Nemko

This tip was sent to me by Rebecca Washington, career coordinator at Portland Community College. She had a client who would get the early edition of the Sunday paper on Saturday. She checked the want ads for jobs and then went to the companies to see if anyone happened to be working on a Saturday. She got the job before everyone else even had their Sunday paper delivered!

On the other hand, sometimes being late helps. I’ve had clients respond to 60 or 90-day old ads. Surprisingly often, the employer had failed to find an appropriate person. So, when a fresh candidate appears, it feels like manna from heaven. Often, the candidate gets a careful look and has no competitors.