Should I apply for a new role as soon as it is advertised?

​Picture a very common scenario: it is 4 pm on Friday and suddenly you receive a call, text, and email from 3 different recruiters about a “dream role” that you simply have to apply to straightaway. But should you apply immediately and will waiting to apply harm your chances of securing an interview?

Firstly, it depends on how urgent the vacancy is and not the pushiness of the recruiter. If the role requires an immediate start or this particular role tends to be inundated with applications (typically for positions in which there is a plethora of strong candidates but not many vacancies throughout the year) then it is worth applying promptly. This is based on the understanding a firm will simply progress with a candidate who they have been able to see quickly and who fits the job criteria in the full knowledge that there will likely be other apt candidates for the role if things did fall through with the first candidate.

However, if your CV is rather generalist and the position is specialising in a specific area, it is worth spending a bit of time tailoring your CV to include the key areas mentioned in the role specification. In fact, it may be worth sending a recruiter 2 or 3 different versions of your CV tailored to the types of positions you are interested in to avoid a delay in applying for upcoming jobs.

In short, it is recommended candidates should apply for a role promptly but only if the CV lines up well with the role requirements of the new vacancy. If tailoring the CV would increase the chances of securing an interview, then it is worth spending time tweaking the CV to include key areas/examples which are relevant to the role requirements.