Happy New Year from the entire team here at Avatar! We are back with the blog, our first addition of the year aimed at our candidates, and why now is the time to apply for your next role!
Its January! Now may be the perfect time to apply for a new job. In the new year the hiring freeze over Christmas break will be over and people will return to work with more energy and enthusiasm – the perfect time for a new opportunity to add to your new year’s resolutions.
According to research, in a randomised cross section of 270,000+ job postings from 2013-2015, in January, the ratio of new candidates to new jobs (Search Competition Index) was at its highest, being greater by almost 24% compared to any other month. Therefore, now is the best time to apply.
This means that if you have been stuck in a career that you aren’t enjoying or progressing in anymore and have been considering switching roles, now is the best time to start a life change that can bring about new possibilities and a new beginning.
Here are five benefits of starting a new job in the new year:
- A new year, a new start. A career change can reinvigorate your passion for your career and benefit your mental health in the long term as you may feel more motivated and fulfilled in a new workplace and in a job you are passionate about.
- New skills. A new job gives you the chance to develop valuable skills where you can learn and grow professionally and personally. You will be able to grow new relationships, build your network, hear new perspectives and learn new insights -all skills an employer would be looking for.
- A higher salary. Advancing your career every two years gives you the biggest salary increase and can provide you with more stability and ease financial anxiety while also growing your skillset.
- More confidence. Through interviewing and gaining new skills in a new workplace, you will become more confident in your skills and value and it is a skill that can help you in all aspects of life, not just landing promotions.
- Less competition. Applying for a job in the holiday break is an ideal time to look as many people will be focused on other things, as the research above suggests, and employers will be accelerating the hiring process for employers in the new year
When to apply?
- Apply in late winter (January and February).
- Look for new postings in the late morning.
- Apply early, within a week of the job posting so that your application is more likely to be seen and reviewed.
- Applying on the weekday may give you an advantage as weekends have more applications.
Additional tips:
- Apply to specific jobs for roles that will aid the development of your skills.
- Have a targeted approach by tailoring your CV to fit the job description and sending a relevant cover letter.
- Make sure your CV is readable by an ATS (see our previous blog post: ‘How to write a CV that beats applicant tracking systems’ for more guidance)
- If you don’t meet all of the requirements but have relevant experience, you should still apply and highlight your transferable skills and any relevant information.
- If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback and use the information to hone your application skills for the next interview.
If you are thinking of advancing your career, see our vacancies on our website and send us your CV at info@avatarrecruit.co.uk.
Written by Bavneet Dhanjal, Marketing Assistant.
Sources: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/blog/right-place-right-time-the-data-behind-hiring-success/
