There is a best time of year to find a new job, and that time is NOW!
First Quarter
After finalizing budgets in October and November, and a reassessing of staffing needs, companies will post new jobs in December hoping for hires in January and February to get their new initiatives under way quickly. At the same time workers are using the new year to reassess where they are in their career and how their next goals can be fulfilled. Job hunting in the new year is a productive time for hiring and for to find a new job.
Shane Green, founder of training and consulting company SGEi says, “Get a new role in the first quarter and spend the second quarter excelling in the new role!”
Mondays
Interestingly a Bright.com study found that 30% of people who apply for a job on Monday’s advance to the next stage of the hiring process. That is a better success rate than any other day. Saturday is the worst with only 14% of applicants advancing. Surprisingly job-seekers haven’t recognized this Monday bias as 37% of job-seekers choose to apply on Tuesdays but only 20% of them advance in the process.
Summer and December
The worst times to find a new job are the middle of the summer and December. The fewest job postings happen during these times because the juggling of vacations leave fewer people to do the work and adding interviewing to their work load just doesn’t make sense. People’s focus in these months might wander to enjoying themselves more than advancing their career.
September to November
The second-best time to find a new job is September to November. After summer vacations businesses refocus on their year-end goals and may have remaining budgets to fill new roles. Refreshed from the summer but concerned about meeting the year’s targets mean a renewed effort during the work day.
