Job hunting while the market is scarce can be a stressful and demoralising process – but what if you knew the best time to apply?
The experts at graduate careers app, Debut have calculated the exact times of year with the most and least job postings and provided some handy tips and advice.
5 tips on the best time to apply for a new job
Get applying quickly in November
The best month to apply for a job is November, when as many as 14.34% of the year’s jobs are posted (on average). By applying at this time you’ll be competing against fewer applicants and should also find more available roles that interest you.
Avoid applying for jobs in August
The month with the fewest available jobs is August, when only 3.80% of the year’s jobs are posted (on average). This is followed by June with 4.31% of job postings, and July with 4.67%. These months can also be scarce for graduate schemes as many will wait until the end of the academic year, or beginning of the new year before receiving applications.
Prepare and apply for graduate jobs early
The sooner you start researching and applying for graduate jobs the better. This is because some graduate jobs advertise super early – as much as 12 months in advance. A lot of companies wan’t to target the eager and organised students and hence start the process early.
Know the difference between a Graduate jobs and Schemes
Both graduate jobs and schemes generally have different prime months to regular jobs but are still very different. Graduate schemes are set programmes put in place by employers to train up recent graduates in preparation for a full time job – they are usually a specific amount of time.
These schemes tend to open up in September and October. Graduate jobs are generally just jobs advertised for recent graduates or people with a degree looking for a career change and are often advertised all year round – with the prime month being September, October, May and June.
Autumn is the best season to apply for a job
The season with the highest number of jobs advertised is Autumn, with 36.12% of the year’s positions, making it the best season for job hunters. This is closely followed by winter, with an average of 31.93% of roles being advertised, followed by Spring then Summer.
Kim Connor Streich, Marketing Director of Debut has commented on the ideal time to apply for a job:
“Graduates who are actively searching for jobs and applying when they first see the opportunity will have the greater chance of getting noticed, and of course, getting in on the first wave of interviews.
“When applying for a new role, there are certain factors which can make your chances of success higher. From experience, many companies spend their human resources budgets well before the summer hits; not only does this mean hiring managers and recruiters stop searching during these warmer months, but resources could be lacking and many will spend summer months preparing reports and trends.
“When sending out your application, you should aim to be the first in their inbox when the job goes live. Anyone who works on a computer will know the struggle of email overload. You need to avoid the competition by sending your application early in the day – you want it to be the first thing the hiring manager sees. If you find something in the evening, prepare everything and be sure to send it during business hours so you don’t risk getting buried under a pile of other applications.”
