Why December Is A Good Time To Find A New Job

Bryony Gibson, managing director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, discusses why the run-up to Christmas is one of the best times to make a career move.

There is no month quite like December. While businesses get ready to pay annual bonuses and hold parties for employees, productivity in the workplace slows down on an almost daily basis as the festive season draws near.

Despite management’s best efforts, it can feel impossible to stop some people’s attention drifting away from the workplace to become wrapped up in holiday preparations. Wanting to spend more time with family and friends, enjoying the social side of the yule-tide, or assuming businesses won’t be looking for new recruits at this time of year are just some of the reasons why I also see job seekers put their search on hold when, in fact, this month presents a golden opportunity.

December is traditionally a time when people begin to re-evaluate their goals, including job and career prospects. It’s not until the New Year that action is usually taken but, in my experience, companies are constantly searching for talent and you run the risk of missing out if you bring your job search to a temporary halt.

There’s less competition

The most popular day to search for a new job is the first Monday in the new year, so you won’t be alone if you arrive back to work with the resolution to make a career change. Bucking the trend and looking now means much less competition and first-mover advantage over the January crowds.

You get more attention

Recruiters are easier to contact and more receptive when workloads reduce. Not only that, but they are also in the office more, which makes it much easier to build a healthy working relationship. After all, the better they know you, the better they will represent you. There are plenty of new opportunities Contrary to popular opinion, a lot of new vacancies arise in mid-December, usually triggered by the payment of annual bonuses and businesses preparing to hit the ground running in January to get ahead of competitors.

It’s a good time financially

The end of the year is often the last month of a company’s annual recruitment budget, meaning they either have spare money and want to recruit swiftly to avoid losing it or, if they have spent up, it’s almost time for the new budget to begin, so they are likely to be gearing up to restart their recruitment drive. Either way, it’s good news for job seekers. Networking is effortless With lots of festive drink receptions, events and parties, it’s a great time to network, reconnect and mingle with colleagues and new contacts who might be able to help you. One of the trickier parts of securing a new job can sometimes be finding enough time to attend the interview process, but December also makes this a little easier; not to mention putting people in a positive mood.

People don’t switch off

Traditionally people have been met with a deafening wall of silence if they tried to recruit during the Christmas period but now, technology means people don’t switch off in the same way when they are away from work. Social media and email are ever-present, and a mobile phone is never far away; especially when people have a little more time on their hands.

The moral of this story: it pays to continue your job search throughout the month of December because employers are recruiting, and you can easily miss out by waiting until January.

December is one of the most wonderful times of the year, and one of the best times to look for a new job so if you feel it’s time for a new challenge, why wait.