This is the No.1 Best Time of Year to Apply for a New Job, According to a Career Coach

Have you heard the saying, “New Year, New Career”? Well, it’s not just cheesy, it’s also true. January is truly the best time of year to apply to jobs in any year…but I think it will be especially big this year, following The Great Resignation.

In the recruiting market, we’ve seen a ton of lay-offs in 2020, followed by a rush to catch up and rehire those folks in 2021 — as even more people continue to quit in large numbers, all at the same time. What does this mean for you? It means that your expertise is likely in high demand, at this very moment. 

January is when most companies start to open up their new roles for the year.

 Every company is different, but most headcount planning happens at the end of each fiscal year in preparation for the year ahead (some companies have fiscal years that begin in February or July, so do some research on this if you’re interested in one specific company). This usually means new budgets, new roles and even slightly higher salaries, depending on market rate in your location. Now, it’s not like all of the new roles will automatically open on Jan 1. It sometimes takes some larger companies a couple of months to get it all budgeted and planned out. But starting in January and rolling into March or so, you’ll see many job postings begin to pop up all over LinkedIn. 

Network! (But what does that even mean, right?)

I know, I know. Networking, in the traditional sense, can make people retreat back under the covers, never to open up their LinkedIn again. But networking in this pandemic era can look slightly different and can become even more inclusive than usual. Start looking for companies you admire or that align with your career values, and reach out to folks who can refer you, or hiring managers who advertise with the #I’mHiring purple photo frame on LinkedIn. Respond to recruiters that reach out to you as well.

You can also search for hiring webinars, a popular new trend I’ve seen amongst recruiters in the past few years. A hiring webinar is like a big presentation advertising several roles opening up at once (usually at large tech companies). And if you get onto their sign-up list, you’ll likely receive the company’s follow-up sequence, which will give you a higher chance of getting an interview with them. 

Don’t second guess it — just go for it.

A job search can knock anyone’s confidence, and it doesn’t help that job descriptions usually read like a laundry list of wishlist qualifications that one human can’t possibly possess. Just know that your typical job description has must-haves and nice-to-haves, and if you meet 50-60% of the posted qualifications, apply or get a referral into the company if you can (referrals are the ideal route). 

I tell my clients to remember this when they’re hesitant to go for a bigger role: “Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them.” (HBR). So if you see a job that inspires you and excites you, now is the time. Don’t second guess it — just go for it. 

What’s your no. 1 piece of advice for applying for a job in the new year? Share your answer in the comments to help other Fairygodboss'ers!

This article was written by a Fairygodboss contributor.

Marjorie Kalomeris is the Founder of MK Career Coaching, an interview and career coaching consultancy for women in tech. Marjorie is a Senior Recruiter in the tech space and has recruited at several hyper-growth tech companies like LinkedIn and HubSpot. She has lived in Ireland and the Netherlands as an expat and is currently based in NYC.