Introduction: The summer hiring scare
Wondering if it’s worth job hunting during the summer? If you’ve spent any time around the job market, you may have heard that it’s not worth job searching during the summer months. People often cite that hiring slows because many hiring managers, recruiters, and other key decision-makers go on vacation.
While there may be some truth to the summer hiring slowdown, as a professional interview coach, I’d argue that summer offers a hidden opportunity for job seekers who look a little deeper. With so many job seekers relaxing or even pausing their job search efforts during the summer, anyone who stays in the game during these months could have a serious competitive edge in their job search.
In this article, we’ll dissect the landscape of hiring during the summer, show how you can use it to your advantage (spoilers: you don’t have to sacrifice all your summer plans), and share practical strategies for balancing your job search with summer fun.
How might job searching during the summer give you a competitive edge?
From my perspective, there’s a big competitive advantage to job searching during the summer, and it’s the result of two factors:
The first factor that gives you an edge is less competition: many job seekers slow down their job search during the summer.
There’s a couple of reasons for this: First, with kids home from school and the weather getting warmer, many job seekers take vacations or extended weekends this time of year. Secondly, job seekers often hear about the “summer hiring slow down” and take it as a signal to slow down (or pause) their search activities.
The result? A lot of job seekers end up taking their foot off the gas pedal when it comes to the job search during the summer. They might spend less time applying for jobs, be mentally checked out when preparing for interviews, or completely pause the job search until the fall.
The second factor that gives you a competitive advantage is the fact that many companies are still hiring during the summer, even if the process itself takes a little longer. Yes, hiring can slow down during summer months for some companies, and the interview process might take longer while key decision-makers take time off. But that doesn’t mean that hiring STOPS completely.
This last point is worth repeating: hiring doesn’t STOP completely during the summer. Many companies still need to hire talent during these months (more on this in the next section).
I think a majority of job seekers hear that “hiring slows down” and overreact by throwing in the towel right away, as if hiring has screeched to a complete stop for two months.
Let’s put it all together: You have less competition during the summer, AND many companies are still hiring (albeit a little more slowly). So where does that leave us?
The way I see it, the effort you make in your job search during the summer can actually go further than in other months. You can get a lot more bang for your buck out of the time you put into job searching, if you’re intentional about it. A little can go a lot further.
In other words, while a lot of the competition is taking their foot off the gas pedal and checking out, you can get ahead just by maintaining consistent, sustainable effort (which we’ll talk about more towards the end of this article).i
Common fears about the job market during the summer months
Myth: Companies stop hiring during the summer
Reality: Hiring may slow down a bit as key decision-makers take turns going out of office and interviews take longer to schedule. But hiring is still underway! If a team needs to fill a crucial business role in order to stay on track to meet its goals, the company is going to make it happen, even if it takes a little longer than usual.
Myth: Everyone is on vacation, so your application won’t be seen
Reality: A recruiter’s job is to help hiring teams fill roles with the best possible talent. If you send an application while they’re out, it doesn’t just go into some abyss, never to be seen again. Companies often have measures in place to ensure that job applications are reviewed even when key staff members are away. This can include having other team members cover for them or using automated systems to acknowledge applications.
If your resume is well-written and doesn’t have formatting issues that keep it from being read by ATS, it should stand out, regardless of when you submitted it.
Not to mention that sometimes teams are so desperate to fill an empty role that they’re willing to hire the first person who feels like the right fit, rather than extending the search in order to consider a wider pool of applicants. In this case, submitting your application on the early side can make a huge difference.
And it’s not always the case that hiring slows down because people are out of office! Professional resume writer Elizabeth Harders shares an important insight: “Back when I worked in recruiting, I always felt like hiring slowed down in the summer because not as many people were applying to jobs.” Don’t forget that application rates can also play a role in hiring fluctuations.
Myth: It’s better to wait to apply until the fall, when hiring picks back up
Reality: Companies need to fill positions year-round. Employees leave all the time, whether it’s to pursue new opportunities, retire, or take care of a new child or aging parent. Not to mention, reorgs happen, and internal teams are always shifting and creating new roles to keep up with evolving technology and business needs, regardless of how doom and gloom the media makes things out to be
(Data-backed) Reasons to be optimistic
Look, social media will always find things to complain about. Misery loves company, especially when it comes to job seeking. Yes, the job market might be a bit more competitive today, but half the people talking about how impossible it is to get an interview are mass-applying to hundreds of roles without ever adjusting their resume to show why their experience is relevant to that particular job title.
So here’s some data to help shift your perspective a bit:
Of all the industries in the US, business services had the largest number of job postings as of Q1 of 2024. This sector includes tech, management and consulting services, and marketing jobs.
Contrary to what you might be hearing via the grapevine, US tech jobs are on the rise again – in May 2024, there were 209,000 new job postings for tech jobs (the highest that number has been since June of last year)
Fewer people are job searching this summer compared to last. The Robert Half Demand for Skilled Talent Report shows that 35% of people are looking or planning to look for a new role in Q3 of 2024, compared to 49% this time of year last year. Yes, this job market is tough – but you’re actually competing against fewer folks than the narrative on social media often makes it out to be.
5 tips for landing a job this summer... while still enjoying that poolside margarita
Let me be real with you: I don’t buy into hustle culture, and I personally wouldn’t want to spend my whole summer job searching and miss out on the fun, so I’m not going to ask that of you. In this section, I’ll cover some strategies for being effective with your job search AND enjoying the summer, so you can get the competitive advantage we talked about above while still enjoying the fun and relaxation that summertime brings.
1. Avoiding burnout: Don’t spend every waking moment on your job search
As an interview coach, I work with a lot of top performers who want to do everything they can to set themselves up for success. They put a ton of time and energy into job search activities, but often end up feeling guilty for taking any breaks because think they should be spending every waking hour on their job search. Let me tell you now: This is the quickest road to burnout.
This may come as a surprise, but I advise my clients NOT to spend every waking moment on interview prep and job searching. This is because our brains require rest and recovery time to function at peak levels. If you go balls-to-the-wall on the job search for a few days and ignore other parts of your life, you WILL experience burnout. Burnout will cause you to be less effective with your time and less motivated. And if you push to your breaking point, your mind WILL find a way to avoid the activities that are causing said burnout, whether that shows up as procrastinating or throwing in the towel altogether. It’s much better to treat this process as a marathon, rather than a sprint.
You are your own boss when it comes to the job search. That means it’s YOUR job to maintain work-life balance, keep yourself from burning out, and recharge your batteries regularly so you can keep a steady pace. Setting and honoring office hours will go a long way to help you with this (we’ll discuss this next).
What does preventing burnout look like? When you’re off the clock, give yourself permission to rest. One of the biggest causes of burnout is feeling like you should always be doing something productive. Giving yourself real downtime helps you recharge and keeps you going at a steady pace.
2. Set office hours for your job search, and then HONOR them
One very effective way to maintain work-life balance is to treat your job search as it it’s a job itself. This means giving yourself office hours for everything job-search related – updating and adjusting your resume, applying to jobs, and preparing for interviews. More importantly, it also means giving yourself permission to STOP working outside of your office hours.
The more routine habits you can create around your job search, the more likely you are to stick to it. Decide ahead of time which days of the week and hours of the day you’ll set aside for the job search during the summer months. Write your “job search office hours” on a sticky note, and put them somewhere you and your family members can see (visible reminders help keep you accountable).
A few tips for setting office hours: Make sure the time blocks you commit to feel doable and allow you flexibility to enjoy summer activities. It’s better to give yourself smaller increments of time that you’re more likely to stick to, rather than expecting yourself to job search non-stop for 12 hours a day (and then inevitably procrastinating because it sounds so daunting).
Here are a few examples of summer schedules: If you’re unemployed, your office hours might be 8 am to 12pm, Monday through Friday, so you have afternoons and weekends to relax. If you’re employed, your office hours might be 5 to 7pm Monday through Thursday, or 90 minutes before the start of each workday, or 9am to 1pm on weekends. Look at your schedule, carve out some regular time blocks you can reasonably commit to.
Pro tip: If you can, set your office hours for early in your day, so you “eat the frog” first before moving on to the rest of your activities. Prioritizing job search activities as your first task of the day decreases the likelihood of distractions and procrastination as the day goes on, plus it allows you to enjoy the rest of your day without the looming feeling that you should be productive.
3. Set specific goals for each week
It’s incredibly easy to get distracted and focus on the wrong things during the job search. How many times have you sat down to send in job applications, only to get distracted by some new article on LinkedIn, or found yourself in a YouTube rabbit hole about how to answer the interview question “tell me about yourself?”
One of the best pieces of advice when I was making my first career was to give myself a specific goal each week, so that I have something tangible to focus on. At the time, I was working on building my network in a new industry, so I gave myself the goal of sending 10 requests for coffee chats to people who work in this industry in the role I wanted. I couldn’t control how many of those people responded, but I could control my own personal output (how many requests I sent out each week).
Setting specific daily and weekly goals can help you maintain focus, build momentum, and stay motivated in the job search.
Here are a few ideas for daily/weekly goals to get you thinking :
- Submit 8 job applications a week (you should be invited to interview for 10-20% of the jobs you apply for, so adjust this based on how soon you want a job)
- Send 10 requests for networking/coffee chats
- Prepare 7-10 STAR stories to use in interviews
- Practice your interview answers out loud for 60 minutes a day
4. Create environmental triggers to indicate focus time
I’m a big believer in fully immersing yourself in your work so you can relax when you’re off the clock. To ensure you’re stay focused and are effective with your office hours (read: you don’t end up on Facebook as soon as you open your laptop), set up environmental triggers to help signal to your brain that it’s focus time.
Environmental triggers are little signals to your brain that it’s time to get serious. For instance, you could play a specific type of music whenever you start working (my favorite playlists lately are Peaceful Strings on Spotify). This way, your brain starts to associate that music with getting stuff done, making it easier to transition into focus mode.
Another helpful tactic is to arrange your workspace to minimize distractions. You might want to set up a dedicated spot at home just for job searching – for example, as a business owner, I try to keep my home office for work purposes only, so if I want to shop online, I will take my laptop into the dining room instead. If you’re struggling with accountability, try a virtual coworking platform, such as Caveday.
Put your phone on the other side of the room to avoid constant notifications. Close the door to create a physical and mental boundary, signaling to both you and others that you’re in work mode. Close out or minimize any unnecessary browser tabs the night before, so you don’t get sidetracked.
By consistently using these environmental triggers, you’ll find it easier to focus and get into a productive groove. This can help you make the most of your job search time, making it easier to unplug when it’s time to “clock out” of office hours.
5. Play the long game
Stay persistent and be patient. Response times might be a little slower from hiring teams during the summer as key decision-makers take turns being out of office, but don’t get discouraged. Remember that lots of companies hire during the summer, even if it takes a little longer. Keep applying and chipping away at your job search activities. Control what you can (your output and efforts), and have faith that the right role is on its way to you.
Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to summertime job searching, and your hard work WILL lead to the right opportunity.
Closing remarks: a little goes a long way
If you’re serious about landing your dream job this summer, consider this: a little effort now can yield big results later. Remember, while other job seekers are easing up on their job search, this is your time to shin. Take advantage of the quieter job market to refine your skills and stay persistent. Companies are still hiring, and with a little less competition, your consistent effort can go a long way. Don’t let the summer slowdown narrative hold you back – use this to your advantage.
If you’re serious about improving your interview skills and landing a job offer you’re stoked about this summer, book a free 15-minute consultation to explore how we can work together to improve your interview performance. Let’s use the summer season to give you competitive edge and help you land a new role you love.
