Temperatures rising, pandemic subsiding, and can’t wait to dive into the summer; full of relaxation and social activities?
By now you’ve probably planned your vacation, the number of zoom-calls is slowing reducing, there are less meetings, office is a little less busy, there are more people away from work. This may make you think that the job-market goes on holiday, too.
- How about your career plans? - I ask.
- Nah, it’s not the right time now - you would say, and put your career growth or job-change plans quickly into the freezer for the hot months. Door closing tight.
You couldn’t be more wrong.
Based on my recent discussions with several recruiters and HR professionals across Europe, summer is actually the golden time to work on your career plans or job-change.
Let me show you why.
ONE
It’s on your mind, anyway. What are you waiting for?
If you are reading this, I am pretty sure you’ve been thinking about a new job for a while.
I see a pattern with many of my clients. Even if they are not happy at work, as long as their current job is tolerable, feels kind-of-safe, there’s no immediate rush - only very few take the active steps towards a new opportunity. Now it’s the summer, then it’s too busy, and then comes Christmas…
Usually there are the 3 most common reasons why people don’t take action:
They don’t know what they want
They don’t know where to start
They are not confident enough about their value on the job-market
But here’s the thing: waiting is not an action. Don’t wait until life makes a decision for you.
Think strategically, start with your goal and work out your strategy.
TWO
You are already looking and searching, but not finding?
Tired of all the rejections and feel the need to get a rest?
You wish you could take your job-hunt off your mind for a while, forget about all the worries and then pick it up again after the summer?
Recharging and relaxing is important, especially during the job-hunt-marathon. But don’t lose the momentum.
Job-search is not about quickly dusting off your cv and sending it out left right and center, or waiting to be found.
Without the right strategies even the most expensively and beautifully crafted CV will not land you the job.
Taking a week or two off on holiday to re-charge is ok and necessary. Taking all summer off, is the wrong thing to do.
Use the summer to think about what you want, why you want it and how you could get it. Learn, read, strategize.
THREE
Because it takes time and the longer you wait, the later you’ll have the results
On average it takes around 12 months to land a new job. Yes, that long. Or even longer. I’ve had clients coming to me after 22 months of unsuccessful job-search.
That’s why, one needs to plan it and to prepare it. Mostly mentally. The sooner you start with your prep work, and the deeper you go, the better you plan, the faster you’ll see the results.
When working with my clients, we can accelerate this, the best results I’ve seen were 8-10 weeks, from the date we started working together. During the pandemic. But they were all fully dedicated, focused and committed, towards their goals.
What you put in is what you get out.
If you start planning now, apply the right strategies, you have good chances to land your new job before the end of the year. IF you start now…
FOUR
There’s a lot less seasonality on the market now, the pandemic has flattened out the curves.
Historically, there was a peak in February – June, a low in July – August, then another peak September – December, before almost everything stopped for Christmas, financial year-end-close, skiing holidays in January and then getting all the new headcount approved before opening the positions.
This is not the case anymore.
Just having interviewed several Recruiters and HR Professionals on the latest trends on the European job-market, they all confirmed, that in most of the industries this classic peak-low fluctuation has flattened out since the pandemic, especially by this year.
Companies got used to the “new normal”, there’s less travel, less time-off, focus is on new strategies and having the right people.
On top of this, companies are already planning and hiring for growth.
Most analysts forecast that with the wide-spread vaccination the pandemic will slowly go away. Managers are focusing on the coming years, devising growth strategies and planning the necessary resources to fill.
There are a lot of openings and more to come, grab them before they go away.
FIVE
Hiring managers tend to be less busy in the summer.
In most industries the summer months a little more quiet, which means that hiring managers have more time to strategize for the second half of the year, devise growth plans and focus on the positions to be filled.
Yes, they'll also go on vacation, but during their office hours?
They are less taken up by busy year-end close or the day-to-day hectic and can spend more time meeting potential candidates and select the right one for the open positions.
SIX
Because there’s less competition now, while there are a growing number of job openings.
Everybody automatically assumes this is a dead season for job-hunt. They may not know about the changes of the market and they believe this is not the time (yet) for job-search.
Start you process now if you haven’t done so yet and get your first-mover’s advantage. it’s a lot easier to stand out from a small pile of resumes, than from a huge stack.
So, go ahead and keep refining your resume and defining your career goals. While others are working on their next vacations, you are working on your next career move.
SEVEN
Wether it’s an informational interview or an informal coffee-chat, your network is your biggest asset in finding your next great job. The strengths of your network is absolutely key.
In the past year and a half most of us were confined to indoors. The great news is, people can’t wait to have and excuse to get out, grab a coffee or a drink and meet people.
So your request to meet a new acquaintance or to catch up with a former colleague will a lot less be a burden or a hassle, and much more like a welcomed opportunity. It’ll be a lot easier now to go out and forge closer bonds and build deeper relationships for your career success.
EIGHT
Summer is a time for relaxation and recharge. There’s medical proof, that sunshine helps to boost a chemical in your brain called serotonin, and that can give you more energy and help keep you calm, positive, and focused.
When you are energized, calm and focused, you are also more creative.
You have more time now, either holiday somewhere away from home or during a staycation, to think and reflect.
How was your career so far? What have you achieved that you wanted? Are your old goals still something your heart desires?
What new things would you like to do or learn?
So, do you think summer is a dead season to to find a new job? Think again now. Even the experts say it’s as good of time as any to continue your search and reach your goals.
Hiring managers are looking for top talent now more than ever, if they have any opening, they don’t want to wait to fill it.
So rather than taking a long summer break, continue to dedicate yourself towards your goals, and your career can heat up together with the weather.
If you feel overwhelmed, not sure where to start or don’t want to do it alone, join the Boost Your JobSearch Online Summer School running June 21 - June 25, for FREE, and let’s do it together.
It’s fun, it’s powerful, it’s free now.
Can’t wait to see you there!