Traditionally, autumn has been an auspicious time to start — or reinvigorate — a job search. With the frivolity of the warm weather months behind us, fall seems to have a way of bringing us back to reality and recommitting to our goals. Call it back-to-school season.
Social media has another term for it — the #SeptemberSurge. This hiring concept isn’t anything new in the recruitment sector. The term has been used in corporate America for years to describe the increase in job hunting and job vacancies posted between September and October. This year, the number of job openings actually started growing in August, indicating the level of movement we see moving into Q4.
Why Autumn Is the Optimal Time for Your Job Search
Companies reevaluate budgets: Q4 marks the end of the fiscal year for many companies. As organizations prepare for the coming 12 months, leaders often reassess budgets and hiring needs to accomplish their objectives. This could mean new job openings and more resources allocated for recruitment. In addition, if there are unused funds in an organization’s 2023 hiring budget, they’re absolutely looking to recruit and onboard before year’s end.
Less competition: Competition for jobs tends to be lower during Q4 as compared to the beginning of a new year. With fewer applicants in the pool, your chances of standing out and securing coveted interviews improve.
That fresh start feeling: For many employers and employees alike, autumn symbolizes a fresh start. It’s often when new initiatives get underway as teams gear up for the final push before year’s end. This means companies may be identifying skills gaps and onboarding new talent.
Top Strategies for a Successful Q4 Job Search
- Start now. Hiring tends to slow down again around the holidays, so kickstarting your job search now is imperative. Enlisting the help of a skilled job-finding service can put your search on steroids thanks to the invaluable connections to companies they can offer.
- Set clear career goals. Having clear objectives for your job search will help you focus your efforts and find roles that align with your current career aspirations. Looking for a company that will allow you to work remote? Wanting to apply your skills, expertise and background in a different role or industry? These guidelines will help define your efforts to discover a position that you can grow in for years to come.
- Network with intention. Networking: It’s both a key ingredient and often the most difficult aspect of a fruitful job search. Many job seekers are either skeptical of its success or reluctant to make it a part of their efforts — or both. Make no mistake: The effectiveness of professional networking is not to be underestimated; a LinkedIn study revealed that up to 70% of open jobs are not posted publicly, and as many as 80% of jobs are filled through skillful networking.
- Call in the professionals. We understand that time is of the essence when it comes to your job search. When you partner with 20/20 Foresight, we immediately get to work creating a detailed action plan, conducting extensive interview coaching, revising and refining your resume and social media presence, and targeting at least 2,000 companies where you want to work. You’ll be connected with our propriety database of 40,000 hiring contacts in a range of industries, and we’ll arrange interviews for you. Most candidates have at least 10 interviews in the first 90 days of working with us. That puts you in a great position of securing a new job by the end of the year.
A Personalized Process that Gets Results
No matter the time of year, the 20/20 Foresight Executive Marketing & Job Finding career consulting experts offer job seekers a dedicated team who work with you hand-in-hand to develop a powerful personal brand that places you in a position of strength in a competitive market. If you’re ready to take your career to the next level and you’re looking for that extra firepower in your job search, we want to talk to you.