It may just be the best possible time! From the end of November through the first of the new year, your chances are significantly enhanced for finding a new position. Why? You will be competing with far fewer candidates for every available position because (a) most people think it’s a terrible time to search for a job or (b) the overload that sometimes accompanies the holidays renders people without time to adequately devote to a search.
Most people assume that no one interviews or hires during the busy five or so weeks from Thanksgiving to New Year’s … therefore, if you’re marketing yourself to companies not actively recruiting, you’ll be competing with far fewer prospective applicants. Likewise, the few classifieds and online opportunities that you do see will be responded to by a lot fewer applicants than throughout the rest of the year. Consequently, your odds of getting noticed and becoming a viable candidate are that much greater!
Finally, with vacations and folks using up comp days before the end of the year, offices tend to be skeleton-staffed and you’re more likely to get a decision-maker on the phone when you call to follow up. You’ll stand out as someone who takes their career and search seriously. So, if you’re in the market for a new position … step up those job search efforts!
- Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage