Why now (and not January) is the perfect time to start job hunting

LIKE PROMISING TO go to the gym or learn a new skill, so many people decide that the start of the year is the ideal time to look for a job.

It’s easy to assume that employers down tools when it comes to hiring in December, but if you’re considering changing job, you are missing out on vital preparation time right now.

In fact, if you wait until January, you risk facing the most competitive time of the year for job hunters.

You should actually seize the day and get ahead of the crowd. And here’s why:

Hiring budgets

The fiscal year ends on 31 December and many companies reduce hiring budgets for the following year if they’re not used up by the end of the 12-month period.

While you don’t have to start your new job until the following year, you can have your job contracts signed, sealed and delivered before Christmas Day, just in time for you to relax and enjoy the festive season.

Getting a head start

Lots of people put their job hunting on hold until January simply because it’s the festive season. This means that there will be less competition for roles.

Get ahead of the curve and start applying now and talk to recruiters and hiring managers. These conversations may not bear immediate fruit now but could put you in pole position come January when they start shortlisting candidates.

Catching your interviewers at a great time

It’s important to know that employers also are in better moods in December. They’re looking forward to time off, the parties and quite possibly their end of year bonuses.

Wouldn’t you rather deal with a hiring manager in the throes of the holiday spirit rather than in January when they’re still suffering the January blues?

Tenacity and determination definitely pays off when it comes to December job hunting, so best of luck with your search.

Networking

The festive season and all its accompanying parties are a great time to reconnect with people.

Professional associations have their annual end of year parties which is the ideal opportunity to network shamelessly. Although if your colleagues are also attending these functions, do try and be discreet about it.

It’s also the time that expats come home, so if you are interested in moving abroad, now is your chance to talk to people and find out what’s available in their companies and locations.

Dust off your CV and social media branding

Even if you’ve missed the boat to job hunt in December, you still have plenty of time to look over your CV and add in skills and experience that you’ve gained in the last 12 months.

You also have plenty of time to polish up your personal branding on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile shows you in the best possible light for the jobs you want and then take a look at jobs boards to get the ball rolling.

Eileen Moloney is the head of marketing at Brightwater Recruitment.

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