Hellobee Boards

I would do it first thing in the morning of a Monday or Tuesday. When I worked in HR I usually had set days where i would look for resumes. I started at the top of the list, which had the most recent resumes. It's luck of the draw really. If I had 200 resumes, but found 5 great ones that had just been submitted I didn't even bother looking at the rest unless the hiring manager wasn't satisfied with what I found or if the candidates weren't interested in the job anymore.

Also, submit more than once if you think you're qualified but haven't heard back. Unless you can find a direct contact at the organization, then send them your resume and let them know you've also submitted it through the website. Any time I got a resume in my email i would automatically open it out of curiosity.

@serenity207: speaking only from my own experience, I voted Friday. I don't work in HR but I've been on many hiring teams and it has never mattered a bit when resumes come in. All applications have been held until the closing date for the job posting, and at that point they're sorted into a "no" pile (generally either not qualified for the position or didn't follow the instructions for preparing the application). Then the rest are reviewed to see who will get an interview. Sometimes HR has culled the initial list and other times it's been the hiring team, but HR has never been permitted to withhold qualified resumes that came in before the deadline. So personally, I'd be more inclined to just get it in ASAP. I guess it might be different in a more HR-centric hiring process, but I've never experienced that.

I would second @catomd00: on also sending it directly to the hiring manager (unless it explicitly states not to).

I've followed the directions and sent through HR, only to learn they didn't pass it on because they thought I didn't fully meet one of the qualifications. But I knew the hiring manager, and heard from him after the fact that he would have wanted to interview me regardless had he known. Important lesson to learn IMO.