The Best Time To Apply for Jobs, Explained
Certain times are better than others when applying for jobs. Learn strategies on when to apply for a new job, down to even the best time of day.
When you apply for a job, you don't see what's happening behind the scenes of potential employers. Many aspects are out of your control as an applicant, but having the right strategy can help increase your chances of landing an interview and job offer. One often overlooked factor in the job-hunting process is timing.
The fiscal quarters, days of the week, and even the time of day you send your resume can affect your chances when looking for a job.
We'll explain the best time to apply for jobs to help give you an advantage over the competition:
- The importance of timing for a job search
- The best times to apply for jobs
- The worst times to apply for jobs
- Other considerations for the hiring process
The importance of timing for a job search
If you've been job hunting for a while, you may have noticed that job openings often come in waves. At certain times of the year, you can easily find many jobs to apply to, while at other times, you might struggle and have fewer to choose from. These hiring trends have to do with what's going on internally at companies—specifically budgeting.
According to Gallup's State of the Workplace report, 51% of currently employed workers across the globe said they are watching for or actively seeking a new job. The main reasons reported were increased pay, improved well-being, and more workplace opportunities.
Learning when companies are more likely to post jobs and ramp up hiring helps you figure out when you should be looking and applying for positions. Strategizing your job hunting by recruitment cycles can give you a wider variety of jobs to choose from. Positions that open at the beginning of the fiscal year may also pay more than ones toward the end when budgets are tighter.
Knowing the best time to send your application can help you stand out from the competition and increase the chances of getting your resume seen by a recruiter or hiring manager. You want to be mindful of holidays, weekends, and times when emails tend to be opened more often to give yourself an advantage.
Depending on your industry, the seasons and location may play an even bigger factor in your timing. If you want to work in a retail or consumer-goods-driven industry, hiring may spike in the quarter before the holidays. International companies based in Europe may slow down in the summertime when employees take longer vacations.
The best times to apply for jobs
When a manager decides that their team needs a new role, they have to get it approved by leadership to see how it fits into the budget and define the specific responsibilities. Company budgeting for the following year typically happens toward the end of the third quarter (August/September). The leadership team will typically review budgeting plans each quarter to make sure all departments and teams are on track to meeting their goals.
Knowing when companies set their payroll budget and evaluate finances is helpful for you as a job applicant because it directly affects hiring. If a company is over budget, it may try to reduce spending at the end of a quarter or the year by slowing or freezing hiring. Roles that aren't critical to achieving short-term goals commonly get pushed back to the next quarter or year.
Companies try to schedule hiring before busy seasons, holidays, and popular vacation times. In a Robert Half poll, employers reported that it takes up to 11 weeks to hire for a permanent position on average.
Timing the workweek
When job hunting, you may want to quickly be one of the first to submit your resume if you have a job alert or see a recently posted job. On the other hand, you can be more strategic. Tuesday is a popular day for recruiters and hiring managers to post new jobs. On Monday, they can finalize any details after the weekend, post it on Tuesday, and then have the rest of the week to sift through applicants.
The best time to apply for jobs during the workweek is between 10 am to 11 am, Monday through Wednesday. Ideally, you want to apply for jobs at the beginning of the workweek, avoiding Fridays, especially before a long weekend. Avoid sending out job applications on the weekends; wait until Monday, as the recruiters and hiring managers likely won't see any weekend inputs until Monday anyway.
If you’re emailing the recruiter or hiring manager, the time of day can also make a difference. Try aiming for mid-to-late morning to send your applications or follow-ups. You want to give them enough time to catch up on any emails from the day before but plan to send them out before they head to lunch. This helps you make it to the top of their newly cleaned-out inbox.
The time of day and week matters less for job postings that use applicant tracking systems like Jobvite or Taleo. They typically have an automated screening process for the first round. The system scans your resume and cover letter for keywords and qualifications, and then if you pass, it sends it to the recruiter.
Beginning of the year (January and February)
As budgets are finalized by the end of the year and the holiday season, the beginning of the new year typically sees a hiring boost. January and February are great times to find and apply for jobs; this is often the first quarter (Q1) of the fiscal year.
Companies tend to put out more job postings in Q1 as they have fresh hiring budget allocations without competing demands. You may notice that you have a wider variety of jobs to choose from at this time. The offers may even be better compared to the end of a quarter when finances might become tighter.
According to CNBC's Make It research, recruiters are still playing catch-up the first few weeks in January and are most active toward the end of the month and into February.
The end and beginning of the year are also times of change, with more people switching jobs as part of their New Year's resolutions. Some people may leave their jobs in late November and December to take extended time off for the holidays. Companies tend to wait until January to start hiring for vacant positions that aren't critical so they can avoid onboarding and training over the holidays when many people are out of the office.
Spring season (March, April, and May)
The new year hiring momentum typically goes through Q1 (which ends in March) and into April and May of Q2. Spring is a time for fresh starts, and many companies are looking to stay on track and meet their hiring goals before summer vacation starts and employees take time off.
If you're looking for a job in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry, spring is an important hiring season to prepare for summer, a peak time for travel. Many seasonal jobs and paid internships start posting summer positions in early spring to have enough time for interviews.
Depending on the industry, companies looking to hire recent graduates may start recruiting as early as fall before graduation, but for shorter recruiting processes, post jobs in spring. Graduation is typically in May, and these interviews can take place in March and April.
Early fall (September and October)
Taking a break for summer, the next hiring surge is in the early fall. September is the end of Q3, and the final quarter (Q4) starts in October. Many departments will want to use up their remaining funds to make sure their budget isn’t cut the following year.
Hiring managers return from vacation and can start recruiting and interviewing once they get back into the swing of things. Europe takes summer holidays very seriously, and many companies pause hiring efforts until the end of the season, in the fall.
Many companies want to avoid hiring right before the winter holidays and try to fill positions in the early fall instead. Planning interviews and then onboarding and training takes time, a few weeks at least. Many people in the U.S. take off time for Thanksgiving in November, Christmas, and New Year in December. Ideally, companies aim to complete onboarding of new employees before mid-December.
Early fall is a popular time for companies to target college graduates. Industries, like engineering that are competitive for new grads, start early to find the best talent they can. These companies frequently post jobs in September and October, interviewing college students who plan to graduate in May. They will extend offers pending graduation.
The worst times to apply for jobs
You can find and apply to jobs anytime, but being mindful of hiring trends can give you an advantage. If you plan your job hunts around popular recruiting times, you may have more options. More applicants will apply when a company only has a few open jobs, increasing your competition.
Companies will hire any time of the year if a position is urgently needed. While summer and the holiday season are less popular times for companies to recruit, hiring still happens. You can set up job alerts, follow your dream companies, keep your eye out for any positions that pop up, and work on becoming a more competitive candidate in your downtime.
Holiday season (November and December)
Toward the end of Q4 and the fiscal year, companies tend to slow down hiring in anticipation of the holidays and as budgets run out. Recruiting may still happen in November, with the hopes of filling positions and onboarding before many employees go on vacation in December.
Companies may wait to start recruiting for full-time positions until they've finalized next year's budgets and push recruiting or making hiring decisions until after the end of the year. This is a slower time of year for many industries, other than retail, when companies wind down and prepare for the following year.
The U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, with companies giving time off and many employees taking extra days that week to go on vacation. If you're looking for a seasonal job over the winter break, November is, however, a popular time to find retail and other part-time jobs that need increased staffing during the holiday season.
Summer vacation (June, July, August)
June, July, and August are often the "slow months" for hiring, where companies post fewer jobs and wait to start recruiting until most employees are back in the office. Many factors are at play during the summer that can affect recruiting and hiring.
The warmer months are a popular time of year to take time off and vacation, especially in Europe. Hiring decisions can take longer, as scheduling interviews and meetings around vacation time can be challenging. You may wait longer to hear back from recruiters during the summertime.
Some businesses are also more hesitant to hire someone in the middle of the year. Onboarding during campaigns can be more difficult. If summer is their busy season, unless a position is time-sensitive, they may pause hiring efforts until the fall.
What you can do
During the slower times when you don't have as many jobs to apply to, working to make yourself a more competitive candidate is a good use of your time. Increase your chances of landing interviews by reviewing your resume, cover letter, and portfolio. When a company invites you to interview, you want to make sure you're feeling ready and confident.
Tips for what you can work on:
You can also freelance if you're between jobs. Completing short-term projects can help you build your skills and earn extra income. Freelancing has many benefits, like being able to set your schedule, which is ideal for those who are looking for jobs and have interviews during the week.
You decide how many hours you're available to work each week, making freelancing a perfect part-time or temporary job. If you accept a full-time job offer, you can finish your current freelance projects, turn off your Availability Badge, and start your new position.
Freelancing also helps you develop skills that can help make you a more competitive candidate. If you want to upskill, you can take online courses and then freelance to gain direct experience. Having completed projects helps you build your portfolio with work samples so you can use these experiences on your resume and during the interview process.
You can also work on your soft (interpersonal) skills, like communication or leadership, during the in-between times. Take courses, read books, or listen to podcasts, and then put these skills into practice with clients.
According to LinkedIn research, 92% of respondents reported that soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills, and 89% of bad hires typically lack soft skills.
Other considerations for the hiring process
The recruitment cycle and job-hunting experience can vary by industry and location. International companies may have different holidays and busy seasons. Some industries are more affected by seasons and economic conditions than others.
Researching the companies you're interested in can help you better predict recruitment trends. A company based in Asia may take extended time off for Lunar New Year celebrations in late January and early February. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is from December through February, so this may be a more popular time for employees to take vacations, leading to slower hiring in companies based there.
If you know the specific industry and type of job you're interested in, you can check the growth rate using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) or an equivalent resource for the country you want to work in. You can also research the average pay and education needed.
Find quality jobs year-round
Companies of all different sizes and stages of growth turn to Upwork to create a more flexible workforce. They use freelancers to fill their team's skills gaps and get the specialized help they need for projects. Unlike full-time in-house roles, freelancing is less affected by the time of year or holidays. Companies may be even more likely to turn to freelancers when budgets are tight, and they need to quickly onboard talent to meet deadlines and demands.
If you want to find a full-time role, check out the contract-to-hire jobs on Upwork. These clients are open to hiring full-time down the road. You get to test drive the position on a contract before fully committing. This is a great way to make sure a company and role are the right fit before becoming an employee.
You can find clients from all over the world looking for your exact skills as an independent professional. See what jobs are available on Talent Marketplace™ and start freelancing today. Start growing your skillset, gaining experience, and earning income while job hunting. You may even decide to build a career freelancing and never look back.
Author Spotlight
Cassie is a storyteller and content creator with over eight years of experience helping brands communicate to their customers through different channels. She enjoys finding new coffee shops to work from and spending time in nature with her dog, Sweeney.
