Everyone’s out to find their dream job right now. Even Elon Musk recently tweeted, “thinking of quitting my jobs & becoming an influencer full-time…” So, while holiday months have been a historically great time to find a dream job, what about this year? Would it be wise to put off the search for your dream job since everyone else is searching, too? Should you go for it because employers are desperate to hire? The answers, of course, depend on many factors.
Is There A Best Time Of Year?
Let’s be honest: The best time to search for a job is when you want a job. Period. Your dream job could open up at any time. That being said, our own experience and what research tells us is that January and February are, historically, key times when many job openings occur—that’s when hiring budgets have been approved, and recruiters and hiring managers are back at work and highly motivated to hit the ground running.
“There’s no sense in waiting for the perfect window of time, though. Especially right now, when so many positions remain unfilled,” says Dave Benjamin, Practice Director-Professional Services at The HT Group. “In fact, the best time to find your dream job could be when you’re a passive job seeker who isn’t actively looking for it.”
So if you’re not in a place where you can be actively job searching, give serendipity a helping hand by being “findable” and open to being recruited any time of year. The Balance offers excellent tips here, including giving some love to your LinkedIn (update your profile and be active by writing recommendations for others and interacting with your colleagues’ posts). Also, respond to recruiters. Don’t ignore intriguing calls, emails, or LinkedIn messages from reputable recruiters (“reputable” is the keyword – do a web search on the recruiter or company before accepting an interview).
Is There A Best Day Or Time?
A few years ago, advice was abundant and shockingly specific about the best days of the week and even times of day to apply for jobs. Heck, even we covered the studies. For instance, Saturday was the worst day to apply—only 14% of job candidates who applied on Saturdays received interviews as opposed to 30% of candidates who applied at the start of the workweek. Time of day mattered, too. Sending an application between 6 and 10 am increased the odds of landing an interview by 13%.
These days, however, specific timing isn’t as relevant. At least three-fourths of recruiters and talent managers use some sort of recruiting or applicant tracking software, which can scan your resume for a match automatically. Those systems don’t clock out at night.
What matters more now is the lifecycle of the job opening. Ideally, you want to apply for your dream job early in the cycle. That can be long before the job shows up on Indeed (if it ever does). Be sure that recruiters know you’re open to opportunities but also let your friends know, too.
“Many employers will open a job search through their recruiters and employee referral programs first. That’s because the likelihood of hiring an ideal candidate through those channels is much higher than through a general job posting,” Benjamin adds.
Is There A Best Time In Your Career To Go For It?
No! You can find your dream job – or at least the path toward your dream job – at any point in your career. The problem for many of us is that we don’t know what our dream job may be. Don’t panic if that’s the case. The opportunities are endless, so it’s no wonder your head is spinning. Try these recent tips from our blog that can help guide you:
You might be feeling a touch of imposter syndrome over the prospect of going after your dream job. These tips could help.
Be open to opportunities outside your preconceived ideas of what a dream job is and in what industry you’ll find it. Trust your recruiter and dare to step outside your comfort zone.
Buy yourself some time by finding seasonal employment. Opportunities to get your foot in the door at places like Amazon can also help get you through the holiday slump.
Don’t limit yourself to jobs that match your experience 100%. Give yourself room to grow.
Be sure you’re on our radar and always be ready for your dream job to appear. It may not appear when you expect it, and it may not look like the job you envisioned, but some of the most magical opportunities arrive that way.
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