Welcome to the Friday Forum!

Every Friday, we take a question submitted by one of our readers and have our professionals field it and provide advice. We then encourage members of the Need a New Gig community to comment below and give their take!

Here is This Week’s Question:

Maria asks:

“I have been thinking about looking for a new position, but I am trying to decide when the best time would be to transition. Ideally, I would like to change jobs after the holidays, but I am nervous that there may not be a ton of positions available. When is the best time to look for a new job? Are there certain times during the year when more jobs are available?”

When it comes to finding a new job, there are definitely times during the year where more jobs are available, and more companies are looking to hire. There are also times when the market tends to be a little slower and it seems like you can’t find an opening anywhere in your field! With that being said, even if it isn’t the best time of the year to look for a job, try to stay positive. Even if the market is “slow”, there are still jobs out there. This can also be a great time to focus in on strengthening your interview skills, polishing up your resume, or just preparing for your search in general.

What are the best and worst times to find jobs?

Fresh Start

The beginning of the year is always a great time to start looking for a new position. While January may start slow, things tend to pick up as we move into February and March. Usually a new year means a new budget, or a new forecast, so executives have a good idea of what they need, and who they can afford to add.

While there may be a lot of jobs posted early in the year, the process does tend to move slow, so be patient. Budgets can still be in the process of being finalized, and sometimes getting approvals to move forward with new openings take time.

Spring

While it may not be as busy as the first few months of the year, spring tends to stay pretty steady. Usually there is a consistent flow of positions available. More jobs may be posted in May, as we get closer to the summer months. Sometimes managers will look to fill openings and get new folks on board before current employees take summer vacations.

Vacation Season

Summertime is usually one of the slowest times of the year to find a job. The main reason is simply due to that fact that it is vacation season. Most employees are known to take their vacations when kids are out of school, or between June and August. Companies typically try to fill their open roles by the end of May. Even if positions are posted, the hiring process tends to move very slow. Scheduling very difficult at this time, and tends to drag a bit.

Fall Push

Fall has historically been one of the best times of the year to find a new job. Once the kids are back to school, and everyone is back in the office from vacation, things start to move. Employers are getting ready for their end of year push, and they are deciding who they need to finish out the year. They are also looking at their budget, and are using left over funds to bring on new talent.

Winter Slow Down

As we get closer and closer to the end of the year, the job market tends to get slower and slower. Many employees are out of the office for the holidays and some companies actually shut down for stretches at this time of year. Organizations usually have used most of the year’s budget, and are anxiously awaiting January 1st. While there may be some positions out there, you may not have much movement until the new year.

As mentioned above, if you are ready to make a change, you shouldn’t wait based on hiring history. Things always change, and you never know what could be currently available. There are always going to be jobs posted, so if you are ready to look, there is no harm in doing a quick search to see what you can find! If things seem slow, use your time to sharpen your interviewing skills, or spruce up your resume!

What are Your Thoughts? Comment Below!

Dan Metz is the Director of Executive Search and Employee Development at the Resilience Group, LLC, and Co-Founder and Contributing Author for Need a New Gig. Follow his blog for more great tips like this!

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Friday Forum – Best Time to Look For a Job?