Now that we are in February, the real work starts. The holidays are a pleasant and distant memory. The cold, hard reality kicks in that we’re all back in the office with a lot of work to catch up on and there are no vacations in sight. It’s a sobering, back-to-reality period of time. This can actually be good news for you, if you’d like to land a new job.
Why This Season Is A Perfect Time To Start Searching
There are solid and practical reasons as to why starting in February—and throughout the springtime—is a great time to actively engage in a job search.
Budgets and new headcounts have already been approved by companies. Bonus payments, which are a large portion of total compensation in many industries, such as Wall Street, are starting to be paid out. The conversations surrounding yearly reviews and raises have been held. Now, people act upon it. Those who receive their bonuses quickly cash them and are free agents and mobile. If you were passed over for a promotion or given a poor performance review, it means that you’ll likely seek new opportunities. This contributes to the start of the game of musical chairs, in which people seek out new positions that will create open seats that need to be filled.
What You Should Do Right Now
To jump start your search, refresh your résumé and LinkedIn profile. It’s appropriate to have several different versions of your résumé. You should customize and tailor it for specific jobs that you wish to apply for to ensure that you stand out. Similarly, tweak your Linkedin profile to highlight your work responsibilities to closely correlate with the jobs you desire.
Studies show that a significant percentage of jobs are found through networking. Make it your priority to tap into your colleagues, friends, college alumni, former co-workers and all other sources. This is not the time to be shy. Politely, but intently, ask the people in your network—which also includes friendly online social media contacts—for job leads and introductions.
