“New Year, New Job?” Don’t Wait: Keep Your Search Going During the Holiday Season

Many job seekers hold off on beginning their job searches until the start of the new year. After all, that is the traditional time for new beginnings and big life changes. But if you wait until January 1 to get started on a job search, you may miss out on some unique opportunities and advantages that are found during the end-of-year holiday season, in the months of November and December.

Hiring Market Continues to Be Intense

As we near the end of 2022, it’s apparent that the past year or so has brought on an intense hiring environment. Once the initial effects of the pandemic eased and companies began hiring to meet the increased demands for workers, Queen Consulting Group’s recruiters saw two big changes in the market:

• There were more jobs and more job seekers
• The hiring cycle sped up, making for a faster typical job search

This higher level of activity means that the opportunities are out there to start a great new job or assignment. And while this healthy hiring environment will remain healthy in the new year, if you search during the holiday season, you’ll discover some unique advantages only available in that timeframe.

Why November and December Are Great Months to Job Hunt

It may sound overly simplified, but the big advantages of searching for a new job or assignment at the end of the year stem from the fact that it’s the year-end ... as in fiscal year-end.

And that means that a great number of new projects and positions will typically be funded to begin on January 1. Employers will try to fill those positions toward the end of the prior year, making November and December prime time for hiring. As Amanda Gagnon, technical recruiter at Queen Consulting, describes it, “At this time of year, we are able to open more jobs because our clients are resetting their budgets, and so everything ramps up.”

Another important advantage of a holiday season job search is that you are likely to have substantially less competition, as fewer job seekers persist on their searches during those year-end months. “There’s more opportunity to get your name out there,” says Amanda, “especially if the client isn’t getting a lot of resumes.” So, while others take time off, you’ll have a better chance of standing out from the crowd, demonstrating both a higher level of initiative and a strong interest in a particular position—qualities that are very attractive to potential employers.

Yet another bonus of a holiday season job search is that employers are typically looking at smaller overall numbers of resumes, so your resume is seen sooner and the hiring cycle moves more quickly.

Keep Up with Other Important Parts of the Job Search, Too

Amanda says, “All those year-end gatherings with family and friends are great opportunities for some low-key networking. If you’re looking for a new opportunity, share that with your social circles—you never know who’s connected to someone who can open up a door to your next job.”

Likewise, Amanda also recommends that you should always be updating your resume, so that it’s ready to go out at any time. “If you’ve learned a new skill or completed a big project, add that promptly,” she advises.

Making that “New Year, New Job” Happen, Now

If your goal is to start a new job in the new year, it’s really the old year—now—that matters. Don’t wait until the January 1 positions are filled—Queen Consulting Group is ready to help you get started today on finishing the year right with a successful job search and a new job offer!