Is the summer a bad time to look for a new job?

Be patient, don’t lose hope!

The most important thing to remember during a job search in the summer is to be patient. Things are still moving but they just take longer than usual. Vacations, holidays, and other conflicts can add extra time to the hiring process- from screening to scheduling interviews to making decisions to approving offers. Silence or delays doesn't necessarily mean you’ve been passed over for an opportunity. It is easy to assume the worst in the job search, but the reality is that you can expect delays during this time of the year. The hiring process requires many people, HR, hiring managers, legal, and others. Coordinating all of these people during the summer months can be painful. Patience is always key in the job search, even more so during the summer. 

Look for recency

If you’re really hoping to land something new during the summer months, look at job post recency. Set alerts for new postings and keep checking target company websites and job boards. If a job has been posted recently, there is a solid chance that it is urgent. If a company is feeling the pressure of an unfulfilled job, they will find a way to close it. 

Network with recruiters

Recruiters tend to have less demand in the summer, so this is a great time to make connections. If you send a recruiter a message, there is a much higher chance that they will see it during these lighter months. Reach out, introduce yourself and let them know what kinds of opportunities you’re looking for. The best recruiters are always thinking ahead, so even if they don’t have any openings for you currently they’ll connect and keep you in mind for the future. September tends to be an extremely busy month for them, so they’re likely doing lots of prep work and connecting with candidates ahead of demand.

Communicate at the beginning of the week

If you work in an office right now, you know that the end of the week tends to be quiet. Fridays are a quiet day in the summer, even if people are technically working. Keep your communication to the beginning of the week and try to avoid initiating outreach on Fridays, your email might just get lost!

Research, revamp for busier times 

October and September are some of the busiest hiring months of the year. Everyone is back in the office and there is an added pressure to use up budgets before the end of the year. The summer months are a great time to do prep work in anticipation of the fall. Rewrite your resume, revamp your LinkedIn, network, and research. Research companies you’d like to work at, see who is growing in your industry, who is hiring people with your skill set. This is a great time to connect with previous colleagues, mentors, or acquaintances. Summer tends to be a time of lower demand across the board, so chances are people might be more open to connecting with you or grabbing a coffee. 

Be kind to yourself

Remember, nothing has stopped, it may have just slowed down. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re suffering with a lack of progress. Don’t panic if you’re in a summer job search and things don’t feel like they’re moving quickly enough. All in good time!