Woman excited about starting to look for a new job in the fall.
The Adult Version Of Going Back To School
September is one of the best times to kick off a job search. Not all seasons are the same when it comes to interviewing. Some times of year are considerably more active than others. January and September rank highest on the list of the hottest times to embark upon a job search.
As adults, we still harbor the dreaded back-to-school mindset. Once the summer ends and September starts, we begrudgingly accept the harsh reality that we need to get serious about our careers again. No more long three-day weekends on the beach or family vacations. We sadly say goodbye to the leisurely coasting through August and mentally prepare for getting back in sync with the daily grind.
Why It’s Slow And Frustrating In August
Human resource professionals, recruiters, hiring managers and others involved in the hiring process have been taking it relatively easy during the summer months, especially towards the end of August.
There are too many interruptions in the interview process during the summertime. As it’s prime vacation time, job hunters are frustrated by the lack of communication and intermittent interview requests. Job hunters are at the mercy of the vacation schedules of the corporate people involved with the hiring process.
It's a cycle of one after another being out of the office, making it difficult to build momentum in the search. A job seeker needs to wait around as the HR person is away on holiday, then when she returns, the hiring manager is flying out to see family in another state or country. Upon the return, others tasked to be part of the interview cycle take their last bit of paid time off.
Hiring Starts Revving Up Again
September is the unofficial tacit acknowledgment that we must get back into gear. Managers complain to their HR departments that they are not receiving enough candidate flow. They complain that the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting trends are causing problems. The managers say, ‘we don’t have enough staff to keep up with the workflow,’ and they are afraid to fire the people who are coasting as they recognize it’s not easy to find replacements, and if they do, the salary demands and workstyle requirements will be much higher.
Feeling the heat, HR and internal corporate talent acquisition personnel ramp up their hiring process. They post job advertisements on LinkedIn and other sites, start outbound reach outs to solicit potential candidates, and consider promoting from within.
There is a small window of opportunity to source, recruit and onboard new employees. We have a stretch of around three months to procure talent from September to the beginning of December. Job hunters and companies must be active as the situation quickly changes around Thanksgiving. Once the holiday season commences, and we get closer to Christmas and Hanukkah, the job market slows down.
How You Can Take Advantage Of This Time
Try to block out all the challenges we’ve been confronting: record high inflation, a possible recession, higher interest rates, layoffs, monkeypox, and potentially getting dragged into Russia and the Ukrainian conflict.
Instead of looking at the bad stuff, view September as a reboot. Take bold steps to find a new job or advance within your current firm. Ask colleagues who found a great new job who were their recruiters. Get in touch with the headhunters and share what type of role, compensation and corporate title you seek. Now that companies are ordering people to return to the office, investigate what position a target company is taking; will it be remote, hybrid or in-office?
If you’ve neglected your resume and LinkedIn profile, start updating them. Reach out to people in your network to find interesting, lucrative job leads. Brush up on your elevator pitch. Roleplay interviewing with others to practice before you go on official interviews.
Since the job market is more tenuous compared to 2021, it’s understandable that you may not want to switch jobs. If that’s the case, initiate a campaign to advance within your current firm. Request a conversation with your boss to discuss your future. Share what you want to do next. Push a bit to get a timetable of how fast you will advance and what you specifically need to do to exceed expectations.
What To Watch Out For
September is a good starting point, but it’s not perfect. You need to be aware of timing issues. For example, white-collar, tech and other mid to high-level professionals expect a hefty bonus around January. Find out if the company will make good on the money you’ll be leaving behind.
Employees in fields such as Wall Street and the tech industry receive large bonuses, stock and options in addition to their base salaries. After a lengthy interview, the person may tender their resignation in October.
With a two or three-plus notice period, the person may start the new job in November. This could cause a challenge for the company doing the hiring. The firm may push back on paying out tens of thousands to the incumbent to compensate for the money they are walking away from. Some managers feel it’s not worth it to buy out a bonus, stock and options for only working at the new company for one month or so and move on to other applicants.
As you’ve noticed, we are going through fast-changing times. Thoroughly check out the company that you’re interviewing with. You want to find out if they have any layoffs planned, how they dealt with prior downsizing, and if they are in a stable financial situation or facing problems. If you know someone at the company, discreetly ask them if they can fill you in on any potential issues that could change your mind about continuing the process.
