Looking for a new job? The timing of your job search can make a big difference in your chances of success. Keep reading to discover the best and worst times to look for a job and maximise your chances of finding your dream career!
Ideally, January and February are considered the best months to look for work in most industries. As people come out of winter break, companies become more active about hiring to fill positions and ensure their goals are achieved, and business grows. Interviews and recruitment of new candidates begin in the second week of January, as momentum picks up. These months are also favourable for job seekers because companies receive their new hiring budgets in January and may have a backlog of jobs to fill. Additionally, many people wait to receive their bonuses in December before changing jobs, so organisations start their hiring activity in January. Job listings posted in January are more likely to attract a large number of candidates by February, leading to the scheduling of interviews and hiring of new employees.
The summer months, June to August, are generally the toughest times to look for work because many managers take leave or vacations, making it difficult to coordinate and assemble a team for interviews and hiring decisions. Additionally, many hiring decisions have already been made, so the demand for new employees during the summer is low. However, it is still possible to find a job during these months, though it may be more challenging and responses may be delayed.
September and October often mirror the activity seen in January and February, with a fairly good period for hiring. This is because people return from holidays and are ready to start work again, and children go back to school.
November and December are slower times for hiring due to the holiday season. Hiring activities are often pushed back as managers prepare for the holidays, and new hiring budgets become available in the new year. However, it is still worth applying for jobs at the end of December, as your application will be at the top of the pile when employers return in the new year, giving you a competitive advantage.
While there are always job opportunities available, certain times of the year tend to be more favourable for job seekers. January and February, September and October, and the end of December are generally good times to look for work, while the summer months and November and December tend to be slower for hiring. By aligning your job search with these trends, you can increase your chances of finding the perfect job and kickstart your career. Happy job hunting!
To succeed in today’s job market, you must have a strong personal brand, a professional network, and updated knowledge of your field. In addition, it’s important to continuously learn and acquire new skills. When applying for a job, show enthusiasm and tailor your materials to the specific position and company. Emphasise your relevant skills and achievements to demonstrate your worth as a candidate.
Let’s have a look at some ways we can expand upon the above and get you hired.
In the competitive job market of today, it’s critical to understand your unique value proposition and be able to articulate it. By doing this, you can distinguish yourself from other applicants and leave a lasting impression on prospective employers.
Networking is essential for securing employment and growing your career. Build contacts with professionals in your field, including possible mentors, colleagues, and hiring managers.
To remain competitive, it’s critical to keep abreast of market trends and advancements in your sector. This can assist you in bringing new, pertinent ideas to the table and proving your worth as a candidate.
In a constantly evolving job market, it is important to constantly learn and develop. Look for opportunities to learn new skills and stay abreast of industry best practices.
Hiring managers are often looking for candidates who are passionate about their work and excited about the prospect of joining their team. Show enthusiasm for the job and the company during the application and interviews.
Tailor your CV, cover letter and other application materials to the job and company you are applying for. This can help you stand out, showing you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in the role.
In a competitive job market, it’s important to show your worth and achievements. Emphasise your relevant skills, experience and achievements in your application materials and interviews to demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the position.
By focusing on these key areas, you can set yourself apart from other candidates and increase your chances of securing employment and advancing your career.
A cover letter should consist of a page that is addressed to the interviewer and encloses your interest in the role you are applying for. Along with your contact information, it should include details that could be found on your CV.
The purpose of a cover letter is to market yourself by expressing your skills, qualifications, and experience (in relation to the job description). This is to set you apart from other candidates, proving you are the best fit for the role.
Every candidate has different reasons for choosing to apply for new roles. If you are currently employed, it is best to express the reason behind your decision to look elsewhere. Reasons could include wanting more experience, a change in work environment, or a personal interest.
Ensure that your letter is addressed to the appropriate hiring manager. If you find yourself in a situation where you do not know the name of your hiring manager, it is best to simply begin your letter with ‘To whom it may concern’.
Use your cover letter as an opportunity to express why you are the best candidate for this role. Highlight your strengths, be it through your accomplishments, experience, skills, qualifications, or personality traits.
This is also a good chance to showcase the research you have done into studying the company, its culture, how it aligns with your interests and skills, and what you can bring to the table to enhance the company’s image and performance.
Make sure that your letter is brief and free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Think of a cover letter as a direct reflection of you as an employee and your attention to detail.
Express your willingness to join the team and be a great addition to the company. Let them know that you are available to be contacted at any point and invite them to get back in touch with you.
Dear <<Name of Hiring Manager>> / To whom this may concern,
I am writing to you with regard to the advertisement for the role of Senior Project Manager on https://www.spinwellglobal.com/vacancies/vacancy-search-results.aspx Attached below is a copy of my CV.
Listed below are my qualifications and experiences that match the job description:
In my current/most recent role, my responsibilities included:
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. My details are available on my CV and I look forward to hearing from you .
Kind Regards,
<<Name>>
Getting through to an interview means you have already created a successful first impression through your cover letter and CV. If you’re reading this, you must be in the final stages of the hiring process, so congrats! However, it does not stop there. You will now need to re-affirm this in person by projecting and presenting confidently and professionally the best version of yourself to secure the job.
Below are a few tips to ensure you make a great first impression during your interview.
Before the interview, you should prepare for any disruptions that may arise. These may include traffic, bad weather, transportation issues and so on. It is always best to arrive at least 10-20 minutes before the interview. By arriving early, it will help to present yourself as a punctual and professional employee who is enthusiastic about the role.
The same type of punctual mindset goes for a virtual interview. Set up your laptop or computer prior. If you are using a laptop, make sure it is plugged into a power supply to avoid disruptions. The same goes for ensuring you are in a room with a stable internet connection. You don’t want to be cut-off mid answer!
Always dress professionally. The way you present yourself reflects on the company. The hiring company will want someone that looks the part. So, portray yourself in a neat, professional and clean manner.
It is natural to be nervous before an interview. Take a few deep breaths, and remain calm and collected. Answer the questions at a slow pace, there is no need to rush. Be confident in yourself. The hiring team have liked what they’ve seen so far. Confidence and enthusiasm are infectious. If you can radiate this energy, the interviewers will feel confident in you.
Preparing beforehand by researching the company or practising sample interview questions will help boost your overall confidence. If you are well prepared to answer all types of questions fired at you, you will be less likely to be caught off guard.
Your composure plays a role in securing the job. Do not chew gum or slouch in your chair. If the interview is in person, be sure to greet the interviewer and have a firm handshake on arrival. When closing the interview, express a genuine thank you and gratitude for their time and the opportunity.
Most contractors looking to find IT-related work use the internet to find vacancies posted by recruitment agencies. LinkedIn is a great place to start. Some may choose to work directly for clients rather than through agencies.
Job boards come in handy when looking for contracting opportunities. The algorithm provides a list of jobs as soon as you type in what you require alongside specifics relating to the location of work, type of work and even salary rates. Job boards typically have a quick apply feature, allowing for easy access to apply for multiple roles at any given time.
Make use of signing up for job alerts. These alerts will notify you if and when any relevant contract roles become available. It will also allow you to assess the job description and understand if there are any skills that you lack. Once you have identified these missing links, you should work on these skills and then come back and apply again. The more experienced and skilled you are, the higher the daily rate you can command.
The advantage that job boards provide is the ability to directly apply by submitting your CV. Agencies may find your profile, see you as a suitable candidate and decide to contact you.
Most contract roles are around six to twelve months. IT contract roles typically have contract renewals during your employment. If this is the case, you may find yourself in the company/location for longer than expected.
The public sector relates to a government-run organisation, funded by taxpayers’ money. Examples include; schools, NHS hospitals and clinics, law enforcement, environmental services, emergency services, social services and so on.
Below we will discuss a few benefits of working within the public sector.
Impact your community
Public sector roles allow you to positively impact your community and make a difference. With that sense of responsibility, you are constantly motivated with a greater sense of purpose.
Job Security
Job security is one of the most important factors when searching for a job in this current climate. With organisations in the private sector having risks of closure or restructuring, the public sector is one area where you seemingly cannot go out of business like a private organisation.
Pension
Another attraction for working within the public sector is that you are enrolled in a pension scheme. A good pension will enable you to save for a rainy day and plan for the future.
Training
Because the public sector serves the community, there is a great need to ensure that workers are constantly encouraged to up-skill by being placed in various training programmes and workshops to advance their professional development. Being trained and guided is beneficial for self-development and morale. It can also lead to promotions and being better equipped for other work if you decide to move on.
Getting to the interview stage means that your CV stood out. Congrats, you are now one step closer to securing a potential role. We will outline some tips to get you over the line and impress the interviewer.
Familiarise yourself with your CV, every detail, every role and every date. In cases where you may have employment gaps, be ready to explain your reasoning as to why you were out of work during that period.
Keep a hard copy nearby if you get a call out of the blue. This way, you can always refer to it, and it can also serve as a reminder to ensure you do not forget anything important.
Preparation is key. Set up at least 30 minutes before your interview in front of a white or plain-coloured background. Test your equipment—make sure your camera and microphone are working and that you are well-lit. Most importantly, check you have a reliable internet connection and an uninterrupted power supply.
If you have a face-to-face interview, it is always best to be punctual and early. Take into account factors that are out of your control, such as traffic and weather, and set off early in anticipation.
The way you present yourself for an interview plays a large part when it comes to professionalism. Remember that you are a future ambassador for the hiring company. If you look the part it will also get you in the right frame of mind.
Research the company, its achievements, core values, and morals. Express how you could be a great addition to the team and add to their success, especially with goals and objectives they may have for the future, and refer back to the job description.
LinkedIn can be used as an online version of your CV. It provides numerous other benefits, such as connecting you to industry peers, increased exposure to hiring managers and recruiters, a great job board, and other advantages.
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is frequently updated. Let’s look at a few methods for transforming your LinkedIn profile into an effective CV.
Think of LinkedIn as your new CV.
LinkedIn reports that 97% of recruiters and hiring managers utilise LinkedIn to recruit employees. This makes it all the more important to make your profile stand out.
Hiring managers, for the most part, want to make the hiring process a speedy one, but they also need to ensure they get the right person for the job.
Make your CV captivating by catching the hiring manager’s attention at first glance. Most recruiters receive dozens of CVs a day and will likely only give the CV a quick scan to see if you are qualified to be shortlisted.
We will go over how to keep your CV concise whilst communicating your skills.
Optimise your CV to fit the job in question. Articulate the responsibilities you took on in each of your previous jobs. This will give the hiring manager an idea of your skillset and how you can benefit their company.
Be to the point in your wording. Try not to use excessive jargon or overly complicated language. Although you should remain direct, use appropriate terms from the job description where possible.
You may have the best CV for the job, but without the correct formatting, you could miss out on the role. For this reason, ensure that you have saved two copies. One as a PDF and another as a Word document. If you are unsure of which format to send, double-check and ask.
Make sure your document is saved with a suitable title, for instance, your name.
When listing your qualifications, skills, experience, job roles and responsibilities, put them into bullet points. Make life easier for your reader as they’ll have a lot of CVs to read through.
Always apply examples of when you have used your skills and qualifications in practice. By showcasing your skills, you are demonstrating how you could transfer your experience to help the hiring company.
Whenever a job is advertised, a list of the desirable skills, deliverables and qualifications will be mentioned. If you are qualified for the role, use the listed skills mentioned in the job description within your CV. Referring back to the job description shows that you have attention to detail. It also demonstrates that you can tick their list of requirements and what they are after.
There is no better time than November through Christmas to search for and apply for a new job. You now have more time to research various companies and job openings. It will also mean you have spare time to interact with and connect with decision-makers on LinkedIn about potential opportunities.
It is time to get ahead of your competition while everyone else goes into holiday mode. Many people will have put their job search on hold during the Christmas break, but positions still need to be filled. By getting ahead of the rest you will appear highly motivated and ready for business.
Typically, most people will either continue or start to job hunt over the new year with the mindset of a fresh start. This can lead to the job market becoming over-saturated in January. However, if you apply for a role in November or December, you will have that fresh start by the time January the 1st comes around.
In December, you will be able to integrate with co-workers during the quieter month and have the chance to go to Christmas parties and socialize. By the time it gets to January, relationships with co-workers will already have been built, meaning you will be ready to hit the ground running in the new year!
Many people will be in the same mindset of putting off applying for a new job until January. It usually means the positions people have left are now free, and employers will want these positions filled as soon as possible. This is so that the company will be prepared for the new year.
Companies will usually need to use up the rest of their budget by the end of December, or they will run the risk of it becoming wasted. So, if a position needs filling, now is the time to do so and negotiate your best price.
So now that you have gotten your reasons to kickstart that job search earlier than anticipated, why not make sure you are prepared?
Tips for job hunting and ensuring you get ahead of your competition during the festive season:
Ensure that your CV is up-to-date with your most recent achievements and skills. Whenever you apply for a job, you should tweak your professional profile to ensure that it covers the requirements of the job description.
Proofread your CV to ensure it is free of typos and grammatical errors.
Always include your contact details to allow the hiring manager to get back in contact with you.
Keep your professional social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, up to date. Recruiters may also browse through your profiles to ensure that you are who you say you are on your CV. So, ensure that your profile represents the true you. It is probably best to keep your other personal social media accounts private.
Recruiters are by far one of the greatest resources to have when looking for jobs. It is important to find a recruiter that specialises in your niche. Through them, you will receive opportunities that may not necessarily be available or advertised to the public.
Recruiters also provide the best interview tips as well as advice on how to edit your CV.
Often, candidates do not prepare for interviews until they get an invitation. You should prepare ahead of time, as sometimes hiring managers will want to act quickly, resulting in not having enough time to prepare for the interview.
If you are nervous and would like some help on how to prepare for an interview and what to expect, reach out to a recruitment consultant, they will assist you and help you prepare accordingly.
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