Summertime means ice cream and vacations! Who would not want to take a well-deserved break after months of grueling mornings? Everything is perfect except that…vacations end. And that means going back to square one. If you, however, want something else, then maybe you should put down those plans and start job hunting. You might think it is crazy giving up summer whereas the best time to apply for a new job is in January. Well, let me set things right. I will give you 4 reasons why summer is actually the best time to job search.
Once summer vacations end, we have to go back to the same morning routine of rushing out to work. However, if you have been contemplating your next career move or if you picture yourself with another job and you have been using summer as an excuse to go home early, you could instead use that time to search for a new job.
Best Time to Job Search is When Competition is Less
According to Peter Harris from career Workopolis the months in which hiring is the fastest is, April, May, and June while the slowest month for hiring is August. And while it might seem that January is one of the months most job opening the fact is that competition is also at its maximum. Part of the reason behind this is that during summers, everyone goes away for vacations leaving many spots that need to fill.
In December everyone is rushing to get things done like say, end of the year budgeting. It does not really leave a lot of time or money for hiring newbies, which is why there is a job opening galore in January. But, everyone is also fresh out of vacations ready for a new job, which is why applying for a job is easy but actually getting it, is more difficult. The bottom line is; summer is actually the best time to job search, so ditch those sunglasses and whip out your reading glasses.
Summer Outings Can Help You Network with Hiring Managers
Another reason why summer is actually the best time to job search is that everyone wants to go out and enjoy so do hiring managers in different companies. Mashable.com says that Meeting up for coffee, in a barbeque in a golf club is the perfect excuse you need to slip out of the office and make contact with potential employers. Sure, it might not be a very “professional” scenario, but getting out there is a non-office related activity could also open your eyes about the personality of your future employers.
Moreover, it can let you know in advance, what you are getting into while networking with different possible employers. Therefore, you can take advantage of the relaxing summertime, to do your job research.
The Transition is Easy
During summers, many companies have a shorter workday, which means: more time for you. If you want to de-stress and relax, maybe meet up with friends and family along the way but the third reason why summer is actually the best time to job search is that moving from one job to the next one is easier. Most employees in the office are enjoying their summer vacations and there are fewer workers in the office making it less overwhelming to get to know your new coworkers.
For those of you who are parents, summer is the best time to search for a job because your children will be on their summer break. You do not have to drop them off at school, to help them with their school projects, etc. After securing your job, the transition will not only be easy for you but will also be easy on your children, especially if they have to go to a new school. Instead of rushing to cover, what their school covered in the first semester because you decided to search for a job in the middle of the year you could look for a job in the summer instead.
Temporary Job Openings
If you are a student or you are just someone who needs to make some cash during the lazy summer, well guess what. Summer is actually the best time to job search because during the summer a variety of seasonal jobs for students pop out for those who do not have the luxury to work for a short amount of time. Craiglist, Summer jobs are good places to start your search. If you choose to do a paid internship, then you could learn a lot, you will get some much-needed job experience.
You might receive a payment for your efforts, not just with a wad of cash but also add to your qualifications when you are applying for another job. Just another reason why summer is the time to job search, would you not agree?
Now that you know why summer is actually the best time to job search, you can start writing that perfect cover letter with tips from the Business Insider.