2020 really has been a year of unprecedented events; from major political changes, a global market crash, environmental disasters and probably the biggest world event in the last decade – a global pandemic. It has certainly been a year of change and pivoting priorities. Remote working has become the norm for many, and this has opened a whole new world of opportunity for employers and employees.
So, if you have had time to take stock and are thinking about a career change or have, unfortunately, been affected by the global crash and been made redundant then now is the time to land your next role. Too many people wait until January to start a new career search so read on to find out why your time really is now…
End of Year Budgets
Occasionally large companies find that they have monies left over at the end of the year which have been allocated to headcount, so they need to get someone into the business quickly to secure the budget
Get Ahead of the Competition
December is a great time to get ahead of the competition. Headhunters and recruiters are less busy and more relaxed as clients move into virtual party season and are much easier to approach and connect with.
Deadline Looming
In September or October a role which starts at the beginning of January next year seems a long way off – when you get to December, you realise how few working days you have to get someone in place, you start moving very quickly and look at talent more laterally or bring in an interim. So any direct approaches will have more impact and individuals are more likely to be considered
Time to Think
Between Christmas and New Year is a great time to be at work or even in the office and there are few interruptions and you can think more clearly around talent and needs of the business. A CV or covering letter may be noticed more easily particularly when others on holiday which causes gaps in the team
Short of Resource
Project resource can be thin on the ground in the festive holidays, so you may need to bring extra resource in to ensure the project happens on time
Front of The Queue
Recruiting Managers and Hirers find it difficult to get hold of individuals at this time of year, so the fact that they can get hold you may mean you go to the front of the queue.
Great Time for Networking
Networking is one of the best ways of finding a job before it is advertised or put on the market at all. Christmas is a good time to pick up the phone, write a card or ask someone for a coffee. Also, there are many events where you can network, although they’ll be online this year!
New Year, New Career
Many individuals might be thinking of changing their career in the New Year, so they might consider you to fill their shoes
Positivity
Generally there is a positive and happy vibe in the air which means employers are likely to take your call or read your emails with festive cheer.
Surprise Projects
New and exciting projects often kick-off in January and sometimes managers start the recruitment process early. If you are available and can do the job – problem solved.
If you would like help with your job search then join our exclusive community, Be Inspired Get Hired, where we will be on the journey with you and will be applying for 50 jobs in 50 days. The aim is to land our next role by the end of January, and we want you with us. There will be lots of invaluable advice, guidance, and support with expert speakers as well as links to available jobs and opportunities to reskill or upskill alongside your job search. We will be alongside you to celebrate the wins and pick you up on those difficult days.
There are approximately 1.6 million people in the UK currently unemployed, yet it is easy to feel like the only one. Job searching is a journey and it is no fun travelling alone so join the community here.
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Sarah started her career in fmcg marketing working as a brand manager on Clover and as an interim manager on Clover (twice) and Quorn. She founded a start-up interim management company in Gloucestershire and that business changed the percentage of women and diverse talent in senior marketing and HR roles. Sarah specialises in attracting, onboarding, developing, engaging and retaining diverse talent into forward thinking businesses to improve productivity, performance and profit. Flexible working and wellbeing play a large part. Since covid-19 wreaked havoc on the job landscape, Sarah has a created an innovative programme to get senior experienced professionals back into work or fine-tune their current role so that it makes happy.