I lived in the New York metropolitan area for much of my life. I noticed that when warm weather arrived and cold weather arrived, the mood for hiring managers changed. Suddenly, warm weather brought their thoughts to vacation and taking it a little easier. Conversely, cold weather often reminded them that Christmas was approaching and to get on the stick about getting presents for their family.
So as we complete Memorial Day weekend, the official “job search stretch season” starts.
“Job Search Stretch Season?”
Never heard of it, you say?
Job Search Stretch Season is the season in which job searches become stretched out a little bit because of vacations.
They get stretched out because hiring managers and HR professionals would rather get home to spend time at the BBQ, at a concert in the park or at almost enything other than a job interview or work.
They get stretched out because hiring managers have fewer choices of candidates because job applicants feel exactly the same way as the managers who are doing hiring and, thus, the right person doesn’t walk in the door so readily.
But what most job hunters don’t understand is that it actually is a great time to year to find a job?
Why?
Because many of these managers have spent months already interviewing and have decided they’ll just take a consultant from a vendor and make the consultant do the interviewing for them. After all, they already behind on their work on on a project that they committed to thaht has to be done by a certain period of time. Thus, consultants and temps get hired a lot.
In addition, comes mid-August, and there are people who work for calendar year-budgeted companies that are starting to work on their budgets for the next year. They have to spend the money in the current budget to justify asking for it in the next budget. They need to hire so one.
In addition, many of them have the opportunity to write into their next budget someone with particular skills so itu becomes an opportunity to network with those managers, directors and executives so they write your skills into the job they are trying to have budgeted.
So, don’t sit back on your hands and not take advantage of this great time of year to job hunt.
© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. Asheville, NC 2014