Graduates who apply early for jobs are usually better qualified and more likely to be selected than those who leave it until the last minute.
These are the latest findings from psychometric assessment provider, SHL.
The survey of 11,000 graduates revealed that those applying for senior jobs showed better numeric and verbal skills while those sending in their application forms within days or weeks of a job being advertised came out on top as the brightest candidates.
James Bywater, a senior psychologist with SHL said at a British Psychological Society conference in Warwick: “There was a clear trend across industries and sectors that the best people applied the earliest.
“The late applicants – the laggards – were less good at verbal and numeric skills.”
As a possible explanation for the findings, Bywater suggests that the brightest people are also the most organised.
