Sending an application at a good hour: what it actually does

Most of us send an application the moment we finish writing it, which tends to be late at night or in the lunch break. HappyJob has a "send at a good hour" button that holds the application and sends it at a good hour of the day. Here is what that does for you.

Two reasons that have nothing to do with fortune

1. When employers read. An application that lands at ten in the morning gets opened at once; one that lands at one a.m. sits under twenty other emails. The good hours here are always within working hours.
2. A second look. While an application waits, you can still edit it, send it now, or withdraw it. Many people reread their cover letter in the morning and find a word they want to change.

The timing part

The system looks at the next three days, picks working hours that are "open" and "get things done", and offers three. If an hour's element supports yours, it says so. Pick one, or send straight away.

What happens after you click

• The application sits as "waiting"; the employer doesn't see it yet.
• At the chosen time it goes out within five minutes, and both you and the employer get an email.
• My account has a "send now" button in case you change your mind.

When to send right away

A job that's about to close, or one where the company says it reviews applicants in order: send now rather than wait. The best hour is the one at which the application arrives in time.