Italian research and a job-search specialist consider when candidates perform best and how to answer questions about other offers. This is discussed in a video on Finance.ua.
Best time for oral exams — 11:00–13:00
Researchers from the University of Messina analysed more than 100,000 oral exam marks and found that the best results fell in the 11:00 to 13:00 interval. Students who took exams early in the morning or in the afternoon received lower grades.
The authors explain the pattern by biological rhythms: at the start of the day a person has not yet reached peak performance, while fatigue accumulates towards the evening. A similar trend was shown by a study of court rulings, where judges more often handed down more lenient decisions after lunch or a break.
How to answer questions about other vacancies
Author and public speaker Anna Papalia advises not to say that you are considering only one vacancy, even if that is true. She recommends demonstrating confidence in your abilities and, when asked, responding: “Yes, I am actively interviewing.” — Anna Papalia
If a recruiter asks you to name specific employers, Papalia suggests keeping that information confidential. Among recruiters there is debate: some believe that showing interest in a single vacancy helps, while others interpret an overly reserved level of interest as a worrying sign, so there is no universal answer.
