What is the the best time of the year to look for a job? Or put another way, is there any time of the year when you should NOT look for a job.
Your Job Search Should Not Take a Vacation!
Have you found yourself saying “It’s summer. No use in job hunting now.” How about at year end, “no one ever hires in November or December so why should I be looking now?” Lately you may have thought “No one is hiring during the pandemic.” Stop!
The typical vacation months are a great time to continue your job search.
Many companies hire in the New Year and the smart ones are gathering resumes and candidate profiles right now so they will be ready to hit the ground running when they are ready to start the hiring process.
The Best Time of the Year to Look for a Job is When Employers are Looking for Candidates
Companies are always looking to hire talented sales professionals. Yes the numbers might drop in the summer and at the end of the year, or they may be in different industries since COVID-19, but this provides serious job searchers with an advantage. If the number of people actively looking for jobs drops during this time then the number of competitors for that job has also dropped. This provides a great opportunity for job seekers who keep looking.
It may be a little trickier to schedule interviews and it may take longer for a company to make a hiring decision around the summer vacation and remote working schedules, but stick with it because you could be very glad you did.
Many companies hire in the Fall and the smart ones start to gather resumes and candidate profiles in the summer months so the new hire is in place come September. The same holds true for companies that want they teams in place to start the new sales year. As human resources budgets increase, those companies start the hiring process in November and December so they will be ready to hit the ground running come January. This will especially be true during the pandemic when companies prepare to reopen as governments continue to restart the economy.
Summer, Off Season and COVID-19 Job Search Tips
Here are some other great summer job search tips from monster.com. They also work great as a base to continue your job search during the pandemic.
- Capitalize on Seasonal Events: Summer festivals, barbeques, weddings and other gatherings that can be a perfect time to connect and network. Use these personal and social gatherings to let people know you are looking to make a career change.
- Be patient and consistent when leaving messages: Receptionists and other gatekeepers take vacations, too. You may get lucky enough to connect with that hard-to-reach hiring manager while other job searchers are waiting until September.
- Keep a Job Search Schedule: Even if it is just an hour a day, put structure in place to for your summer job search.
- Build a Network: Connect with other job searchers and share information on who’s hiring. A job opportunity not right for you may be perfect for someone in your network, and vice versa.
- Take Stock of Your Resume and Skills: Summer is the perfect time to assess and update your resume and skills. Perhaps take a class or two in the summer. Not only will you be improving your skills, but you can network with your classmates.
- Get Outside: Helping your neighbours with some outdoor home improvement projects? While you’re doing that, share that you’re job hunting and tap into someone else’s network.
The Best Time of the Year to Look for a Job is Now!
The best sales representatives don’t wait for prospects to come to them. They go out into the marketplace and find them. If you want to make a career change, stop thinking of waiting until the lazy days of summer or the pandemic is over to start your job search. You are just wasting valuable time.
Remember what Abraham Lincoln once said; “Things may come to those who wait, but only what’s left behind by those that hustle”. More motivational quotes here.
To help get you started today on finding your dream sales job, here are 5 steps to take charge of your own job search.
For a free template you can use to track your job search, visit the B2B Sales Connections Free Download Centre! While you’re there, download our free whitepaper, How to Write An Effective B2B Sales Resume.
Aim Higher!
Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Coach and Author
Schedule a free sales coaching strategy session with Susan here.
“… what I can tell anyone, is simply this – If you want to learn and understand sales, talk to Susan.”
Are you looking to make a career change? For detailed instructions, step by step, on how to find your perfect sales job, (and by perfect, we mean perfect for YOU), check out our eBook, How to Find Your Dream Sales Job – The future is yours to create! How to write a resume to grab the attention of sales recruiters, a gender neutral cover letter template, what you need to include in your LinkedIn profile, how to prepare for a sales interview, what to wear, how to access the hidden job market, how to evaluate a job offer, how to resign from your current job …. IT’S ALL IN THIS BOOK!
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