Third Thursday Thoughts, 15th Edition
Hurry Up! Autumn is the Best Season to Land a New Job
Seasonal hiring trends in the fall are just as hot as a Pumpkin Spice Latte…
Fun fact: There are certain and specific hiring cycles throughout the calendar year. During surge times, companies post loads of jobs and recruit top talent quickly. But the reverse is also true; slow times mean fewer postings and long, arduous interview processes.
Accounting for variables like the economy and a specific industry niche, the best time to look for a job is during the time between the end of summer and the beginning of winter, also known as autumn.
September, October, and November are the best times to job hunt because they have more job postings than in the prior months of the year. With more companies than ever having open jobs, a candidate has a higher chance of connecting with a job that they’re passionate about rather than settling for one simply because it’s available and in their field.
Autumn comes off the summer hiring lull and companies go hard during the spring to recruit soon-to-be college graduates. This increase in spending also leads to a subsequent down time during the summer months. On top of this, hiring managers and management teams often go on vacation during this time or work flex hours, making it difficult to schedule interviews and discuss candidates together. But when the kids start going back to school, daylight hours get shorter, and everyone returns from vacations in the fall, hiring managers are ready to post jobs, schedule interviews, and speed up the hiring process before the end of the year hits. When open positions are not filled during the year, they very rarely get approved for funding when new budgets roll around in January. This means hiring managers will want to use these allocated funds before they lose them.
So, Fall marks the last time HR can get employees in before potential budget cuts are made for the following year. All of this happens very quickly so the hiring process doesn’t interfere with the hectic holiday season. And this is great news if you hate waiting for a response from a job you applied for.
With the end of August to mid-November hiring push occurring right before major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s, the hiring process happens much faster. It’s not uncommon for hiring managers to want to hire new employees before the year ends; its best to let them finish out their two weeks or have a break between jobs over the holidays, allowing them to start the new year off fresh in their new position. A less agonizing waiting game is a huge perk to applying for jobs in the fall. Just keep in mind this window also requires a bit of hustle on the candidate end too.
Once Thanksgiving arrives, candidates will be facing another hiring slowdown until the new year begins. And this presents its own set of challenges. After Thanksgiving, the chances of landing the dream job drop off significantly. Companies very rarely post new jobs during December thanks to the holiday season and vacations eating up most of the month, which doesn’t leave much flexibility for interviews. With new first quarter budgets, job ads will be plentiful in January compared to the shortage that was in December — but New Year’s resolutions also mean people are looking to get out of jobs they hate. And that means extra competition.
So, as the leaves start to turn red, gold, and brown in the fall, let them be a sign that it’s time to polish up the resume and find the perfect position. Just as there are peak times for fall foliage, there’s also peak times to win the new job game.