The Best Times of the Year to Apply for Jobs

Just like there is an ideal season for planting and harvesting, there are some specific times when your applications are more likely to yield a job.

Although it differs from company to company, it’s almost a universal trend that more recruitments are carried out around certain months. If you are looking for a job,

this article will help you find out whether it’s an ideal month for you to apply for that job or not.

NB: This applies to applying to a company that does not have an ongoing recruitment process. However, when a company advertises for a vacancy at any time of the year, it’s the best time to apply.

Let’s run through the months

January, February

The first two months of the year are one of the best times to look for a job because most companies are looking forward to a more productive and efficient year. Increasing their staff strength is one way to achieve that task. Although January starts slow since people are just getting over with the holiday, things start to pick up from the third week and lots of interviews start to happen.

Companies recruit more in these period also because most people prefer to wait till the new year to switch jobs, by then they must have collected annual bonus from their previous job. Also, most of the decision-makers are available during this time to endorse new recruits.

March, April, and May
The reason why these months are also favourable for job applicants is because it’s close to summer. Bearing in mind that a good number of the decision makers plan to go on vacation, companies like to recruit just before summer holiday.

Sometimes recruiters drag one recruitment process for as long as 6 months and even more and this can be very frustrating. However, the good thing about applying during the above recruitment window is that you don’t have to wait for too long to get the results. Everything is usually finalised as soon as possible before the bosses go on leave.

June, July and August

These are not the best months to apply for a job as summer months are usually slower. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, if you must, apply and hope for the best, but bear in mind that the organisation may not contact you until later. Patience!

September and October
After January and February, September and October are one of the best times to apply for jobs.  More interviews happen and there’s less downtime and waiting. The hiring process is smoother overall and you can start and finish everything within a month or less.

November and December
November and December are the rush months of the year, where companies are busy rounding up their plans for the year. So, if you apply for a job around this period, keep an open mind that you may or may not be contacted until the next year. However, follow up to know when the interviews would hold, or if you’ve already passed that stage, find out about your employment status.

End of December 

Surprisingly, the end of December is a good time to apply for job in order to stay ahead of the competition that will flood in by the new year. December is usually a very busy period, so there’s a very high possibility that your application will not be screened till the next year when the company will be ready for your interview. However, be rest assured that you will be among the early birds to be called back since you submitted early.

In a nutshell, with luck on your side, you can get any job irrespective of what time of the year you apply!

GTB