New year, new you, new job.
When the yearning for greener pastures emerges, many people start craving a fresh challenge. January is a natural time for this as usually the self-reflection over Christmas points you in the direction of the job listings.
But when is the best time to pack in your stable 9-5 and embark on a new career path? research has found that there are certain times during the year that result in more success.
It turns out that January and February are the ideal months. This is because the holidays are over, and everyone’s back in the office. This includes the people who make the decisions about what new staff they need. Conversely, it’s also when many people hand in their notice – thereby creating a vacancy, which you could fill. It’s also a good time to go for a higher level of job or ask for a promotion. Especially if you’ve become indispensable to your firm. The only downside is there will be a lot of competition. So it’s not a bad thing to leave the process until February. In fact, the first week of February sees almost a fifth more interviews than any other time of year.
There are a few other good times throughout the year to apply for a new job, including between April and June. Industries that depend on good weather, such as tourism or hospitality, and the construction trade, are gearing up for summer when they’re busiest, so this is their peak hiring time. In other industries, there may also be a bit of a recruitment rush to ensure new staff are taken on before everyone starts to go away for summer.
Also autumn, especially around September and October – is also a peak hiring time as the summer holidays are over and everyone is back in the office. This works out well for university graduates. This is because many companies like to hire them fresh out of college, so there are usually more vacancies available in September.
