23 Aug Is autumn a good time to search for a job?
Although some companies have very specific periods for recruiting staff (e.g. when budgets and goals for the year are defined, and it’s clear whether and what resources are needed) there are also more favourable and less favourable times of the year to send your application.
If December is usually a month to be avoided as many companies will go into holiday shutdown for at least a few days, and so are the first two or three weeks of January, autumn – and even spring – are good times to apply.
September is often seen as the month to start many activities and changes, so many people are also more eager to change careers. Therefore competition may be higher for this reason, but there is a chance to beat it.
Get prepared for the search of a new job in autumn
We usually recommend using the summer and holiday months to put your CV to work. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to get to work: organisation is paramount in this activity!
Create electronic folders to organise your job prospects, CVs and cover letters. Even better: set a new email address so that emails related to your job search don’t get mixed up with your personal ones. This will enable you to see immediately which applications you have sent and to whom, whether you have received feedback or not.
When you apply for a job, it’s very important that your CV and covering letter match the job description. To do this, take the keywords that appear in the job description for the position you are applying for and include them judiciously in your CV and covering letter.
Further, these days, most hiring is done through social media and online websites, so an important part of preparation is updating and making your web presence more professional. Begin this update from your LinkedIn profile.
Write down the names of the companies you’d like to work for, and try to find out the name of the person in charge of hiring at those companies, what positions they’re most often looking for and, if possible, what general and specialist skills they’ve been looking for in the past.
Meanwhile…
While you’re updating your CV, your online profile and analysing where you want to work, bear in mind that autumn is also a great time to update your skills and learn new things, whether by attending seminars, taking online courses or joining discussion groups.
Furthermore, this one is a great way to expand your network of contacts. These people – who have interests similar to yours – can become part of your network, and you can turn to them for advice, recommendations or opinions on job vacancies.
If you still have doubts about how to go about finding your new job,
don’t hesitate to contact our experts who can help you with this!