It is said that the process called the “job interview” was invented and perfected by a person we all know quite well, Thomas Edison. He would interview hundreds of applicants and after becoming frustrated with college graduates who lacked a certain knowledge, he created a test.

The test contained questions of general knowledge directly related to tasks required for the job and other questions with unrelated topics such as geography and literature. As business leaders heard about the practice, they began to emulate Edison’s process to find employees of their own.

Business practices for job interviews have changed over the decades. So, after all the decades and the countless number of interviews, we take a look at the days of the week in which people had greater and lesser success. Granted, you cannot always pick when you interview, but this info certainly helps to know, especially when asked to schedule an interview.

Best Days of the Week for Job Interviews

Friday

Yes, Friday statistically shows up in surveys of job seekers as the interview day that led to securing employment. This goes against what most people currently think, yet repeated studies of both job candidates and companies show that Friday interviews seem to be the favorite of the 5 business days. However, not by a large margin. Out of studies performed, 26% of applicants who secured employment did so after a Friday interview.

Thursday

21% of job applicants surveyed claimed Thursday was the best day for them. What makes Thursday so special is that, like Tuesday, it is one of those, “Time to get down to business” days. After all, the weekend starts tomorrow. 

Worst Days of the Week for Job Interviews

Monday

Even though many believe this is the best day, Monday interviews tend to get lost in the shuffle of the week’s events. Studies recently showed that only 16% of applicants interviewed on Monday secured employment. Monday interviews tend to also feel rushed and the mind has barely woken up from the weekend’s activities. As the week progresses, the memory of your Monday interview will fade.

Wednesday

Although companies may see this as an ideal day, middle of the week, and halfway to the weekend, job candidates reported only a 17% success rate with interviews on this day.

Tuesday

You can consider this close to the 3rd best day of the week for a job interview. Only 20% of job applicants surveyed expressed Tuesday was the best day for an interview. As you may have noticed up to this point, the success rate for job applicants may come down to something psychological. The advantage to Tuesday is that businesses often treat this day as “the day when most things get done”. The disadvantage of a Tuesday would be that you are contending with many other interviewers on the same day, making you difficult to remember.

Conclusion

The best and worst days of the week for a job interview exist only in your head. Some people are at their best on certain days of the week. The numbers show nearly an equal success rate amongst the 5 business days for interviewing:

  • Friday – 26%
  • Thursday – 21%
  • Wednesday – 17%
  • Tuesday – 20%
  • Monday – 16%

Perhaps, what our personal success comes down to with job interviews is discovering the day of the week that we feel most comfortable and confident about going to a job interview.