The Best and Worst Times of the Year to Look for a Job

Finding a job can sometimes be an exercise in frustration. You can struggle through months of anxiety and disappointment, experiencing rejection time and time again. Why is this? You might have the perfect resume, excellent interview skills, and a winning personality, yet still experience a job search drought. So why is it so hard to find a job?

The answer could be as simple as the timing of your job search. To improve on this, it’s important to understand the best time to look for a job: when the peak hiring season is, and when it’s a no-go zone.

Timing is vital

Many people don’t even recognize that job search timing matters. That’s understandable. After all, a company either needs new employees or it doesn’t - right? If only it were that simple!

While it’s true that companies across the US do bring on new hires throughout the year in 2023, there are times when that hiring pace is more frantic than others. If you get to understand how job search timing works, you can plan your job hunting efforts more efficiently and effectively.

Below are the hiring trends month by month.

The best time to look for a job

Without the benefit of time travel, you might have to play a waiting game if you’re reading this in November and want to grab the optimum chance of securing that dream role.

Let’s start by reviewing the best time to look for a job. Obviously, each month has a different reason for providing fertile ground for job seekers. In addition, the pace of hiring may speed up or slow down over different weeks. Overall though, your job search is likely to be more fruitful if you seek a job in the following months.

January gets things rolling

One of the best times to look for a job is the first month of the year. Just like wanting to get fit and smash those New Year resolutions that you’ve made, and are surely going to keep (fingers crossed!), the start of the year is a great time to look for a job.

With the holidays behind them, many companies begin to start the hiring process. That makes it a good time to get your resume crafted by a professional resume writer and ready to go.

Tip: Make sure your resume is ready to be submitted before hiring begins in earnest. Check out this post to help you figure out what hiring managers are looking for.

February hiring picks up the pace

With the New Year in full swing, hiring in February picks up quickly. If you were savvy enough to get your resume noticed in January, you can expect offers of interviews to come flooding in as hiring managers start getting serious about filling open positions.

Tip: Brush up on your interview skills in readiness.

March continues the trend

March hiring isn’t always as robust as the month before, but it’s still a great opportunity to land that perfect job. You should continue to apply for jobs that interest you, lining up as many interviews as you can.

Tip: Always follow up with hiring managers after an application or interview. That way, they’re more likely to remember you if you’ve created a great first impression.

April hiring springs into action

With the blossoming of flowers, and new life appearing everywhere, April is a peak month for that early hiring push. Continue to send out your resume, make those follow up calls, and attempt to get your name in front of hiring managers.

Tip: Don’t panic if you haven’t started applying for roles yet, as summer is on its way.

May gears up for summer needs

As noted above, while your job search timing might be optimal in April, there’s no need to worry if you find yourself looking for a job in May. With the summer months closing in, many companies are ready to open out their summer hiring. With many hiring managers on vacation at different points in the summer, they’ll aim to get the hiring done as early and quickly as possible.

Tip: If you’re a student looking for part-time work over the summer, this is the best time to look for a job.

September reignites that hiring frenzy

We’ve skipped all the way to late summer and fall now, with September being another big month and the best time to look for a job. The summer job search doldrums are coming to an end, and hiring managers are returning from vacation. At the same time, children are heading back to school, and everyone is settling back into their routines.

Tip: The first part of the month is one of the best times to look for a job, as it will set you up nicely for a productive job search towards the end of the month and into early October.

October provides steady opportunities

October is the best part of the fall when it comes to searching for new positions. A lot of companies want to get new hires onboarded in the fall in order to be fully prepared for the holiday season. As a result, you should see a greater return on your job search efforts in October.

Tip: It’s worth getting your LinkedIn page up-to-date so it complements your resume, with all details tallying with one another.

The worst time to look for a job

Naturally, there are going to be some months where looking for a job is not so favorable. If your job search timing causes you to be looking for a new role during these months, be prepared for a little added frustration.

June starts the summertime slowdown

June bridges the divide between spring and summer--and it also marks a downturn in hiring. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a job in June – many applicants still do – but if you can align your job search timing to avoid June, it’s wise to do so.

July offers little hope for all but the most motivated

As July arrives, summer is in full swing and many hiring managers are thinking less and less about adding new employees. Besides, many companies did so much hiring in the spring, there are few open positions to fill. While it is possible to locate employment in the summer, most job seekers relax their efforts too.

August remains slow

August continues that summer trend, and is often worse than July. People aren’t thinking about jobs--they’re thinking about lying on the beach or when they can gorge on their next ice cream! Company vacations are a major concern at this point, and very few companies schedule interviews. Again, you might find employment in August if you press on with your efforts, but don’t bank on it.

November stalls as Thanksgiving approaches

November is a bit of a mixed bag. For many companies, the early part of the month is still active from a hiring standpoint. However, that trend has cooled off in a major way by the time Thanksgiving arrives.

December offers little warmth for job seekers

If your job search timing has you seeking employment in December, best of luck! You might receive a frosty reception during the holiday season. But does that mean you should abandon the search? Never! Believe it or not, some companies report that there aren’t enough people looking during the holidays.

Job search timing – by the seasons

If you’ve noticed a definite pattern in all of this, nice work! Overall, good job search timing hinges on identifying the ebb and flow that takes place over the course of a year. Hiring picks up after the first of the year and accelerates throughout the end of winter and into spring. It then slows down during the summer months, before reigniting as fall begins and the long summer holidays are over. By the time the festive holidays come round, it slows again. If you can time your search to match those changes, you may be able to maximize your odds of locating a job.

At the same time, you should recognize that companies hire every month of the year. In fact, you may gain an advantage by looking during the slow times, as many job seekers will be avoiding those times, so that could help you stand out from the competition.

Generally, though, the best time to look for a job is during those months in which hiring is at its zenith.

Get job search-ready by uploading your resume to ZipJob’s free resume review during the best time to look for a job.

Job Search Timing - Best and Worst Months to Look for a Job - ZipJob