Should I put my search for a new job on hold until the New Year?

Historically December has often been a relatively quiet month for recruiters, although here at Blues Point for the last couple of years it has actually been our busiest time.  Clients who had vacancies to fill were keen to tie things up before the Christmas break and so made an extra effort to carry out the interview process in order to get things moving.  Similarly the candidates we placed with them wanted to enter the new year with a new role already secured, and looking forward to the challenge ahead.  However many candidates and clients put their search on hold for the month of December. Is this a wise move or a wasted opportunity?

There are several benefits to the candidate that continues actively to seek employment during this quieter time.  Most significantly:

• There is less competition – because many candidates opt to put their search on hold, the fact that there are fewer applicants for each role means you stand a better chance of getting shortlisted for the roles you are most interested in.
• The new year is a natural deadline – If you attend an interview in December, it is likely that the client will want to expedite the process and make an offer before the Christmas holidays begin, as the longer the process takes, the more likely they are to lose the best candidates to their competitors.
• New year, new start; imagine if you could start the new year with a fresh challenge, rather than having to continue in a role you are no longer enjoying while using up holidays to attend interviews for the job you really want.  Why not try to get things wrapped up now?

December is a strange month for recruiters – we’ve been really busy for the last few years but because there are fewer applicants for roles and fewer people actively seeking, we have to be a bit more savvy with how we find suitable candidates for our roles.  It can be tricky for candidates to attend interviews – often they have used up all their holidays for the year and are reluctant to ask for more time off.  But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and if you are the right candidate for the role, we will find a way to make the interview happen. 

Whatever you decide to do for the month of December, we wish you all the very best for Christmas and the New Year!