New month, new job opportunities

There’s no perfect time to look for a job, but there are many seasonal trends and tips that can work in your favor across industries and within the job market. Here are some:

1. You’re starting over

The summer job market, August in particular, is painfully slow. While you can still conduct a search during the summer, you are battling with the lack of proactive engagement and scheduling challenges that result from the vacation season. This all changes in September.

During September, make a point to contact any relevant connections you haven’t checked in with lately. Mention that you enjoyed the end of your summer, but plan to get more serious about your job search going into the fall and would love to reconnect.

2. You can’t afford to get distracted

 The hiring push that happens in September and October will sharply decline mid to late November. A fall job search is a sprint and there is no time to have a slow start, get distracted or take breaks.

Most people conduct a job search while already employed and the autumn will probably be a busy time in your office. And, if you’re a parent, you may find that getting settled in the school year creates further strains on your time. September can be one of the most demanding months of the year already, before adding in the stress of job hunting.

However, if you are hoping to find a new and better job sooner instead of later, you need to get and stay serious about your efforts during the month of September. I can’t emphasize this enough: don’t miss this short and critical window before the holidays sneak up. Start strong and keep it going for the next two months.

Set a daily or weekly goal for your job search activities such as emails sent, companies and job researched or hours spent on your search.

If possible, avoid measuring progress by the number of job applications you submit. Online applying notoriously has a low application to interview rate so focusing your attention there might lead to a discouraging yield. For some skills and career levels, online applying can be effective but for many people, organic networking through trusted contacts or targeted research will produce better results.

Either way, hold yourself accountable to make your job search a priority in September.

3. It’s the beginning of the end

During your interviews, be sure to inquire about end-of-year initiatives or goals. Being able to articulate how you might hit the ground running to help get an important task over the finish line will deepen their interest in your candidacy and may accelerate your hiring process.

Listen for information about when key team-planning sessions are being held. The fall is a popular time for these sorts of meetings. Usually, they bring several important stakeholders together in the same location which can be advantageous for scheduling your interviews.

To gather this information in an early phone interview with the hiring manager, simply ask toward the end of the call if they have any offsites or planning sessions coming up; then, express interest in meeting team members during one of these, time permitting. They may or may not jump on this opportunity, but if they do, you’ll have the chance to make a more informed choice about the people you would be working with—and the company will probably get you a decision much faster. Either way, it will show an orientation toward thoughtful initiative on your part.

Finally, September is the best time to plan your networking calendar from now until the end of the year. Research relevant happy hours, speaker breakfasts and conferences coming up in the next two to three months. You can’t attend everything, but make the most of your efforts by emailing hosts four to five days before your events and seeing if you can secure a list of participants. Then use LinkedIn to familiarize yourself with backgrounds and faces and come prepared to seek out the people you most want to meet or reconnect with.

It seems that September could be a good time to search and hire people. Would you like to do it, but with people from other countries? Contact Our Advisors they can make things easier for you.