When Is the Best Time to Apply for a New Job?

Planning to take some time off work for a week of job hunting? Not sure when the best time would be?

Timing matters. There are many factors that go into getting hired. Some are in your control and others aren’t. When it comes to timing, while you can’t always ensure that an employer sees your application first, there is a lot you can do to stack the odds in your favour.

But what is the best time to change job? And how can good timing affect your application?

Monitoring Your Industry

Before talking about when exactly you should apply, let’s lay one very important ground rule: all of this is highly dependent on your industry.

Whether it’s smaller seasonal factors or industry-wide trends, if you want to get the timing right on your job application then the first thing you need to do is research. Ask yourself questions like:

• Which entry level roles in your field are in demand right now?
• Why are those roles in demand?
• What would increase/decrease the demand for your role?
• Are there any major news stories relating to your field? And if so do they affect your chances of getting a job?

You should also keep in mind that it’s not as simple as applying or not applying. Understanding the timing of your application could make a difference in how you choose to write your CV or even your cover letter.

For example, let’s say you’re looking for a job in the tourism industry. As an industry tourism is subject to a lot of predictable seasonal factors but it’s also dependent on several less predictable factors. Economics in particular plays a huge part in tourism, as people often decide whether or not to have a holiday based on how wealthy they feel.

During a bad year for the economy, many people don’t cancel their holiday plans outright but they are far less likely to travel abroad. As such, this can actually benefit the domestic tourism industry.

All of this to say that being aware of the current mood within your field can really help you to choose which jobs are worth applying for.

Seasonal Factors

With all that said, let’s get to the question you’re really here to answer. What is the best time of year to job hunt?

Well, there’s some debate about this topic but there are some tentpole moments to keep in mind.

Firstly, there’s the holiday season – that is to say November and December. For any company in the retail industry, holidays are a seriously busy time of year. If you’re looking for temp work, then you’re in luck, but if you’re trying to find a more long term role you might struggle as many companies simply don’t have the time and attention to be managing applications during the rush.

On the other hand, non-retail industries are often looking for staff during this time as they push to meet some of their aims before the end of the year.

The other major moment in the job market calendar is April through to the end of August. This is because students generally graduate during this period and start looking for jobs. As such, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, many companies are aware of this and will advertise graduate level jobs during this period more heavily. On the other, this is when the job market will be at its most competitive for entry level roles.

The Right Time is Always Now

While all the above is true and you should always be thinking about the timing of your application, it’s important to note that there’s almost never a bad time to be applying for jobs. Even if the trends are against you, at the end of the day, they’re just trends and they don’t represent the entire industry.

In fact, plenty of people manage to beat out the competition through sheer luck, by being the right person at the right time, when nobody else was applying.

Finding the best time to look for a new job often has a lot more to do with the specific company than it does with wider factors. That’s why the most important thing you can do when applying for a job you really want is take the time to research the company and their application process.

It’s also worth saying that the best time to change job will always be the time when you are motivated to.

Finding a new job really is hard. It takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication. When all’s said and done, if you’ve got the time and energy to send out an application, then the best thing you can do for yourself is get that application sent.