I'm on the record that recruiters should manage the submittal process - which is the timing, number, context and presentation strategy of when you give hiring managers resumes for any open position.

The best practice? Having a plan which positions you like an expert and someone who knows what they're doing.

Industry cynic and recruiter at large Matt Charney agrees with me in this FOT post called "Stop Submitting Resumes With No Chill":

"As I’ve written about before, one of the most ridiculous things I think recruiters do is to submit the first few candidates they’re able to source and screen who meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

Many recruiters slate candidates with the goal not of finding the best talent on the market, but the first talent on the market you could find who was qualified, interested and available.

They find 5-7 potential fits who look good on paper and sound compelling enough over the phone to pass ahead to the hiring manager, and then move onto the next req without ever looking back to see if any better candidates might be out there.

If a hiring manager agrees to interview this initial candidate slate, then for most recruiters, it doesn’t matter. But what do you think the mathematical chances are that you’re going to source and develop the absolute best candidates you can find from a pool that’s limited to the first ones you were able to qualify? The same goes for your clients.

That’s why it’s important to be selective and figure that for the average search, there are around 100 applicants; of these, there will be around 10 who are qualified. Of these, the top 5 will be worth slating for final steps, but make sure you’re selective. I recommend waiting a minimum of two weeks before starting to screen out candidates; that’s 14 out of 60 days on an average time to fill spent sourcing, which is likely way less time than you’re spending now for your average req. Sometimes, the wait is worth it. Either way, it’s better to be patient to make sure you’re making the right hire than to rush the wrong one—I promise you that."

Bottom line - you're devaluing yourself if you send resumes over before 7-10 days.  Of course, that assumes you're digging and really trying to find 3-5 candidates you can call the best.

If you're not trying to line up a slate of 3-5 stellar candidates, you're likely just spamming your hiring managers when you find someone who might be good enough.

And that's weak.  It's called commodity recruiting.