Summer Hiring Demystified

Is there a best or worst time to look for a job? Certainly, more people, as in more people who are responsible for hiring new employees, take vacations during the summer months. Yet, before you rationalize your job-search enthusiasm away with the notion that no one's around to do the hiring, it's time to take a reality check.

In December we posted a blog on why job seekers shouldn't be deterred by the winter holidays. The fact is, hiring managers operate all throughout the year, and many face end-of-year deadlines to get new employees in place by January 1.

While the hiring process won't be made any easier by the interruptions of vacations, it's not like hiring managers head en masse for the Catskills for the next two months. In fact, outside of farm work, tourism, and retail, hiring rates are generally flat year round, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are times of the year when you'll face more competition, such as right after the holidays, when people are following through on their resolutions to land new jobs (especially if they were disappointed with holiday or year-end bonuses), and early summer, when new grads flood the market. It's good to be mindful of that and use it to your advantage by keeping up the search even when the calendar beckons you to do otherwise.

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