Summer’s Over: Here’s Why It’s The Best Time For Job Seekers And Hiring Managers To Act Now

Labor Day has come and gone, which means that summer is “unofficially” over—and that’s great news. To clarify, it’s good news for those who are career motivated. 

The first week of September is similar to the beginning of January. It’s a time to start anew. September is one of those benchmarks, like an anniversary, where we stop and take stock of our lives. In this instance, we think of where we are in our careers and where we are headed.

The adult version of children’s “back-to-school” mentality kicks in. During July and August, most of us slow down our pace, take long weekends and go on vacation. We sit on the beach, gaze at the beautiful blue sky and listen to the soothing sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. You’re surrounded by friends and family, maybe sipping an alcoholic beverage of your choice and everything looks fine. Now that you’re relaxed and chilled out, your boss and job don’t really seem so bad.

The moment the piercing alarm goes off in September, everything changes. You’re immediately smacked in the face by the reality that the rat race starts all over again. A cold dread takes hold as you remember all of the things you hated about your commute, manager and co-workers. Thoughts about seeking a new job pop up in your mind.

Hiring managers wake up from their summer slumber to the stark realization that they have open seats that need to be filled. It wasn’t a priority during the summer slowdown, but now that the pace will pick back up and restore to a state of normalcy, managers recognize that they have to act fast. If they don’t hire quickly, they’ll have angry, overworked employees to deal with.

If you are looking for a new job or need to hire, this is the time to act. Both sides are engaged and motivated. There are other reasons to move quickly. As we get closer to the 2020 presidential election, there will likely be a slower job market due to the uncertainty of who will win and how their policies will impact the economy and job market. There is a pervasive worry about a possible recession and stock market correction. If that happens, the window of finding a job will quickly close. The traditional hiring season goes from September to mid December. Even if conditions are perfect, once the holiday season starts, the job market grinds to a halt until mid January.

It’s wise to act while there are opportunities. The future’s uncertain and the odds are likely that there may be more risks on the horizon, which will slow things down. It literally pays—finding a better job with higher compensation—to be proactive, as opposed to procrastinating.

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