The Two Best Times of Year to Look for a New Job
If there was ever a time when people worked the same job their entire lives and retired with a gold watch and a pension, that is certainly long gone. Most people will have 12 to 13 jobs in their lifetime, and almost everyone —95% of workers —plans to look for a new job in 2024. There are many good reasons to start looking for a job: People who change jobs tend to earn more , sometimes you just need a career change , and sometimes you’re just in the wrong place.
If you have the luxury of choosing your timing and strategically changing jobs (as opposed to getting laid off or anticipating an impending layoff), you have an often-overlooked advantage: you can choose exactly when you look for your next chapter. If this describes you, there are two seasons that have distinct advantages in terms of finding a new job. Here’s how to time your job search to get the most benefit.
Looking for a job at the beginning of the year
It’s a neat coincidence that the time you’re hungover and making a New Year’s resolution to change jobs happens to be one of the best times of the year to start your job search. January and February are the two best months to look for a new job for a number of reasons:
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Psychological. The feeling of a clean slate and a fresh start, as well as the enthusiasm that comes with making a decision and having a plan, cannot be underestimated. For most people, the beginning of the year is when they are in the best frame of mind to make big changes in their lives.
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Economic. Companies typically approve hiring budgets in the fall , and they go into effect in January. In addition, performance reviews and bonuses were reviewed towards the end of last year, so current employees are making their own career moves by keeping positions vacant and encouraging further recruitment.
The beginning of the year has a lot of open positions and unused budget, so the first two to three months are the ideal time to look for a new job if you can wait.
Check the job listings again after the summer.
Another time of year that is best for job hunting is after summer—September and October. Summer can be a brutal time for the job search because many hiring managers are on vacation and the wave of new employees hired since the beginning of the year are still settling into their roles. As summer ends, things pick up steam again—a phenomenon known as the “ September surge .”
Again, both economics and psychology make September and October ideal months for job hunting:
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Psychological. The end of summer typically encourages you to refocus on your business and get work done before the holidays. Projects that had been languishing while everyone was planning a beach vacation suddenly become overload, which often means extra heads are needed.
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Economic. At this point in the year, departments and managers have a good idea of the state of their budgets, which could mean additional hiring opportunities.
As a result, more vacancies become available after the summer holidays end – with a 16% increase in vacancies between July and October, according to classifieds site Gumtree. More jobs mean more chances to find the job you’re looking for.
Of course, jobs are posted and people are hired throughout the year, and there are many variables that influence whether a company is hiring for a particular position. But if you’re planning a career change or looking for a new role and you have a choice of timing (and you can stay there for a while), then it’s the beginning of the year and the months immediately after the summer. your best choice. Like everything else in this life, finding a job is a matter of timing.