I’ve mentioned before that there are best days and times of day to apply for jobs, but is there really a “best” time of the year to be looking for jobs? YES!

The beginning of the year, (January and February) are undoubtedly the BEST times to look for jobs. Of course, things may start slower right when people get back from their holiday vacations, but by the middle of January, Hiring picks up VERY fast. This is also the time of year when the greatest number of decision makers are in the office, so you can get interviews and answers faster! The only thing you should make sure you do after applying, is FOLLOW UP! Hiring managers tend to be fairly busy during this time of year, so give them a call or shoot them an email as a reminder that you submitted an awesome resume and application.

In addition as to why January and February are such good months to apply – most companies get their new hiring budgets for the year, and any hiring that was delayed in November and December can now be reinstated.

The next best time of the year to apply for jobs is April and May. Why? Summer is when many people go on vacation, so there is pressure to hire before then since the hiring process will be difficult to finish up with decision makers out of the office. So get in your application EARLY in April so you won’t be pushed out until they get back from vacation.

Now it’s approaching the end of the year and people are asking – should I apply now in December, or wait? APPLY NOW! You’ll at least get through to HR. Get ahead of the others and you’ll likely finish the process at the end of February or early March.