5 reasons January is a great time of the year for a job search

From the scramble to complete tasks, file reports, and ensure targets have been hit before year end to office parties and networking events, December can be an incredibly busy and tiring time no matter what industry you work in, leaving a lot of workers feeling burnt out. 

But once the dust settles and you’ve had time to decompress over a couple of days off, January can be the perfect time to start your job search so you’re poised and ready to go when hiring managers start looking for candidates for the year ahead. 

Plus, when you factor in that it takes roughly five months, from start to finish, to get a new job, beginning your search in January is a no-brainer. 

New year, new you 

From crafting the perfect cover letter to making sure your master CV is up to date, getting organised goes hand-in-hand with January resolve, so use this time to streamline every part of the job search process with a filing system. 

Whether you opt for a fancy colour-coded system or simply use a Word document, and keep a record of every job you’re applying for, the research you’ve done on the company or how you applied (via email, an application link, for example), you’ll have everything you need in one place. This makes it simple to reference the information for future reference, saving you time in the long run. 

Capitalise on how quiet it is 

While you could be dozing in front of another rerun of Home Alone or hitting snooze on your alarm every morning, if you’re really serious about finding a new job in 2023, using your time off to your advantage is a great way to get ahead of the pack. 

While being the first to apply for a job opening doesn’t guarantee an interview––according to data compiled by online CV builder Zety you need to send between 30 and 50 applications on average to get a job offer and only 10% of job applications result in interview invites––your CV might get more attention if a hiring manager doesn’t have many other to look at (or compare it to). 

Hiring managers are more focussed

Speaking of hiring managers, the new year spells new budgets. This means those in management positions will be looking to use up their allocated hiring spend as soon as possible to guarantee they have full use of it (and that it doesn’t get reallocated elsewhere). 

They’ll also know what gaps they need to fill on their teams as year-end demands usually highlight what or who is missing to help their team run even more efficiently. And some don’t even wait for their January budget to roll around: Streaming platform Deezer, software provider Rocken and green tech start-up Octopus Energy are currently hiring at pace for the year ahead. 

Follow-up on networking leads

With in-person networking expected to return to 2019 levels in 2023, the power of face-to-face connection will be more prevalent than ever before. So, if you successfully linked in with professional peers over the festive season, or attended any networking events and made new connections, January is the opportune time to follow-up and arrange another meeting. 

Networking doesn’t guarantee an interview or job offer but data compiled by TechJury found that 95% of professionals said that better business relationships are built through face-to-face meetings. 

Do your research

As previously alluded to, hiring managers and HR professionals will be focusing their time on hiring new staff in the earlier part of the year. So as a job seeker, you need to also streamline your application process so you’re applying for the best jobs in companies that have values that align with your own. 

Most large organisations such as Raisin GmbH, Zalando and Accenture publish annual reports on diversity and inclusion (D&I) measures they’ve implemented, or ESG (environmental, social and governance) reports so that shareholders can monitor the findings for learnings and accountability. These reports also contain invaluable information that can help you in your job search––and even help you craft a stellar cover letter that will help you stand out from the crowd. 

So, if you’re ready to put your skills and experience to the test and utilise all that January has to offer your job search, head over to the Tech EU Job Board where there are hundreds of opportunities ready and waiting 

Lead image: Planet Volumes