Or at least we feel that’s what we’re supposed to be doing.

Has this ever happened to you… You see a job posting online, or hear about an opening from a friend, and by the time you get around to applying for it, it’s already been filled.

If it’s happened more than once, you’re not getting the point – those who hesitate might not be lost, but they’re sure as heck not getting hired.

Of course, striving to seize the moment is no excuse for sending in sloppy cover letters and resumes addressed to “Dear Sirs” when the hiring manager’s name is Amanda. That’s like showing up early on your first day all bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and disheveled.

If you can reasonably expect a hiring manager to be deluged with applications, take special care. Since it’s difficult to make sure that your resume is either among the first or last the manager will review, you’ll have to find some way to make yours stand out.

I don’t recommend glitter.

The best way is to make yourself look like the answer to the hiring committee’s prayers. It’s not easily done, and it requires hard work, research and ruthless honesty. Still, showing how your qualifications match their needs to a breathtaking degree will help distinguish your application from the rest.

But now let’s take a time out for full disclosure – I think I’ve only gotten a handful of jobs because I was a prompt applicant.

Most of the best jobs I’ve had I got by being in the right place at the right time. This is surprising in my case, because I usually tend to run just a little late, but I think it’s probably pretty common.

The problem is, how can you develop a knack for being in the right place at the right time? Wear rabbit’s feet? Knock wood day and night?

Frankly, I don’t think cultivating luck is the answer. Recognizing it is. This requires being open and staying active.

Monitoring trends can give you an idea of which fields are hot and who might be hiring, so by all means, keep an eye on them.

But even if you’ve got a great sense of what’s going on, getting a precise read on where and when to find the right place and time is still difficult.

That’s why staying active is so important, because you – or your resume surrogate – need to be in as many places as possible.

Select these places with some thought of course, and make sure you’re a good fit with the position and the organization. Then, when the time is right, you’ll be right where you need to be.