Believe it or not, there are some times of the year when looking for a new job is easier. Just like the seasons, the labour market fluctuates, demands for products and services increase and decrease, and opportunities arise. In fact, the seasons are a good way to predict your potential success when looking for a new permanent role. Here, we discuss the best time to search, the worst times, with some other useful hints and tips included to make securing your dream job more likely.
New year, new you.
It’s true. Statistically, January and February are two of the best months in which to look for and apply for permanent jobs. Why? Simply put, companies usually reset the clocks at the start of Q1! Those responsible for hiring benefit from updated budgets and indications from the previous year as to whether there is a hiring need for the year ahead. It’s worth considering that January can start slowly, so the middle of the month is optimal to start sending your CV and sending applications.
While hiring remains strong right through Spring, June, July and August can be challenging months to look for a new job. With many staff being away on holiday, hiring takes a back seat. September and October see a marked increase in businesses recruiting. This is due partly to a return of most staff to work following the summer break and coinciding too with an early run-up to Christmas.
This brings us to November and December, which are typically the worst months to look for work. Twin factors are at play here: more staff absences are expected with annual leave and hiring managers are focusing only on the essentials. As well as this, annual budgets are usually diminished, leaving little room to make new hires. However, if you are on the hunt, these months can be a good time to start preparing for the new-year window of permanent opportunities that are due to come around!
Target Tuesdays.
Tuesday is the best day to apply for a permanent role or respond to a job advert. There are very practical reasons for this. While business can of course post a job ad on any day of the week, statistically the likelihood is that they will do so early in the week. And while you might then assume that applying for a role on a Monday makes the most sense, in fact, “the best strategy is not to be the first person to respond.”
“Typically, what happens is people see what comes in, they evaluate it and then wait to see what else comes in. The first person gets to set the benchmark, but you don’t necessarily want to be that person” (BBC.com, “Is there a perfect time to look for a new job?”)
Set your alarm.
Seriously? Well, maybe not. But there are some studies that indicate applying for a posted job advert within between 12 and 24 hours gives you the best chance of being noticed and invited for interview. While this might be debated, we certainly recommend only applying for jobs within the business’s operating hours. To boost your chances even more, apply in the late morning, or afternoon.
Conclusion
The recommendations above are based on all the data available. There are plenty of additional resources if you want to give yourself the edge over your competitors, such as articles on Indeed.com, Monster.com, and TopCV.com.
While we don’t suggest you only ever apply for jobs on each available Tuesday in January (at precisely 11am or 3pm!), we know that there are better times to be on the hunt. Industry preference also comes into play, and our recruiters are well placed to offer you specialist advice on the right time for you to look for roles.
If you are looking for more advice or interested to hear about roles we have to offer, contact us at info@frsrecruitment.com
