Corporate background check and research firm Allison & Taylor recently surveyed their database of job seekers and found some key insights about the best times to search for employment. Check out the following tidbits to incorporate into your strategy this fall:
Best Months to Search:
September (after Labor Day) to Thanksgiving
January to April (to Easter)
Worst (Slow) times for Searching:
Early Summer to Labor Day
Thanksgiving to New Year’s
The company recommends job seekers take these five steps to ensure you have maximum success in your search:
1. Redouble your efforts. Employers have only just returned from summer vacations and are highly energized in making year-end quotas, so they’re expected to be looking to fill some previously budgeted vacancies before year end.
2. Do your research. Be clear on exactly what position you’re seeking (and ensure that your resume reflects it to best advantage). Do some investigative homework on your prospective employers to ensure that your future interviews highlight the immediate, positive contributions you can make to their company, Allison & Taylor suggests.
3. Brush up on your interviewing skills. Conduct “role play†sessions with friends and family where you have them pose questions to you in an interview-style format. This will better enable you to develop a comfort level with the interview venue, and help you anticipate the kind of questions you’ll receive during the “real thing.â€
4. Review your skill set. What value are you adding or what skills can you offer that will tip the employment scales in your favor? If there are any gaps in your skill set, Allison & Taylor suggests using software tools, online training sites, etc. to round out your knowledge base.
5. Update your references. Check your the background and validity of your network who will be speaking on your skills and personality. Be sure they’re not indicating negative things about you