By Soozy G. Miller, CPRW, CDCC, CDP
We are in Q4, and as we head toward the holidays, I hear this from job seekers every year:
Nobody is doing anything now.
Everybody is away.
Everyone has the holiday spirit. Nobody wants to work.
And yet sometimes my busiest time of year is Q4.
Yes, many companies are setting budgets for the next year. And, yes, a lot of people go away. Decisions do seem slower.
But as someone who helps people land their next job, I’ve had plenty of busy fourth quarters. I’ve had people contact me on December 26 all panicked and saying, “I saw this job! I need to apply now! The application deadline is Jan. 1!”
Also, hiring right now in general is slow, not just during the holidays. Hiring overall has been slower since 2020, and it really slowed down in 2023. Companies are more cautious about hiring because they over-hired about three years ago, hiring in general is very expensive, and technology is changing the way work is done, which changes the requirements for jobs and makes companies more specific about what they need. Holiday schedules can add delays, but that doesn’t mean hiring stops.
I know plenty of recruiters who feel frustrated at the end of the year because they still have plenty of roles to fill, regardless of the time of year, and… Where is everyone? Nobody is returning my calls.
The only time that’s really considered a hiring blitz time, if you can call it that these days, is when new graduates land entry levels jobs in September.
I get that people want to pause and enjoy their lives this holiday season. Who wants to get a rejection notice on Christmas Day? (Yes, that happens. New Year’s Day, too.) Taking a break is understandable.
But here’s a thought: While other job seekers are stepping back because they assume hiring has stopped, you might want to be the one that keeps your foot on the gas.
Because while other job seekers are assuming that hiring will be slow until January 1, and while they are not bothering to reply to recruiter emails and phone calls because they think it’s probably a waste of time since the decision makers won’t do anything until after the new year … and so on and so forth … you could answer your email or phone and land the job they missed.
Hiring continues to happen throughout this holiday season.
Better job. More pay. More control.
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