If you’re interested in a new job or a career boost, now is the time to take action and jump into your job search—because January and February are the biggest months for hiring.
The start of the new year brings with it companies that are focused on finding new talent and kicking off the year by selecting people, making offers, and awarding jobs. So polish your resume and land your next opportunity.
Why Now Is the Time
According to multiple sources from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to hiring companies like Indeed and Monster, January and February boast the largest numbers of open jobs and also, applications.
In addition, hiring trends are positive. Specifically, better than 70% of people who were laid off said they found a new job within three months, according to Revelio Labs and 85% of organizations say they’re hiring people in under four weeks, according to data from Employ Inc. Hiring leaders are also saying it’s challenging (81%) or very challenging (33%) to fill roles. All of this is good news for job seekers.
There are a few reasons why this time of year is the hottest for hiring.
- First, many organizations receive budget dollars for the year, so their hiring begins for the year.
- In addition, at the start of the year, many companies and people have a mindset to hit the ground running—so finding great people and filling open headcounts are ways they’re seeking to start strong.
- January and February are also prime for hiring because they mark an end to the pause many companies took for the holidays.
- And finally, many companies pay bonuses in December. As a result, when people leave, it’s often in January, so open jobs are open and posted in the first couple of months of the year.
Setting Yourself Apart
The good news about high rates of hiring is the number of jobs that are available, but the more sobering challenge is that application also increases during this time, according to ZipRecruiter. So, you’ll need to ensure you’re distinguishing yourself among all the others who want to get hired—and you can do that by paying attention to the trends which are influencing hiring. Here’s what to consider.
Commitment and Motivation
With all the noise about quiet quitting and employees who seek to do as little as possible, a terrific way to get employers’ attention is to be clear about your commitment to your work, your desire to participate in the company, and your ambition.
Communicating a genuine desire to make a contribution doesn’t preclude you from having a great life outside of your work, but it will make a difference to potential employers to know you value the work you do and appreciate being part of an organization and an integral part of a team.
Talk about how you engage and the ways you stay motivated. Share your strategies for maintaining momentum in a project and how you influence yourself positively, but also those around you.
Learning and Growth
With all that people and organizations have been through in the last few years, a key trend points to the evolution of leadership and collaboration based on all the changes in how people work. Leaders must motivate and engage from a distance. They must lead with a spirit of enhanced well-being and focus on creating meaning for people in their work. And teams must connect in new ways via hybrid approaches and with a greater appreciation for diversity and belonging.
Make a case for your candidacy by pointing out all that you’ve learned through the challenges you’ve faced and how your personal or leadership style has grown and evolved as well. Perhaps you’re a leader who has learned to be more accessible or to ask for feedback more frequently. Or perhaps you’re a team member who is more empathetic to others or who has developed your skills in thinking more innovatively.
Employers will embrace people who are self-reflective and who can demonstrate ongoing learning and growth—and be clear about how these will matter in their contributions to the organization.
Adaptability
Another trend organizations are facing is the speed of change, new technology, the need for greater innovation, and increasing customer demands. All of these require that companies shift and adapt—and to do so they need people who are adept at handling change.
You can make the best of this reality by articulating the ways you’re adaptable and innovative. Discuss a challenge you faced and how you solved it with speed and innovation. Describe a time when you had to demonstrate resilience in the face of difficulty and how you’ve built your muscles for working within a volatile world. Explain how you stay informed about what’s coming next and stay aware of trends, so you can be proactive and responsive in whatever job you’re doing.
Tech fits into this category as well. As new technology comes online, there is an undercurrent of people who are afraid of how it will impact their work and their lives. Hiring professionals will be looking for people who can embrace what’s new and find ways to leverage invention for teams, organizations, and customers. Talk about your comfort with tech and your optimism about how new tech capabilities will drive all kinds of progress.
A Bright New Year
Overall, it’s a bright new year and despite news of layoffs and headwinds in the economy, jobs are still available—and many organizations are still hiring. You can be the candidate employers are clamoring for—and find a job you love. The perfect time is now.