The Holidays Are a Terrible Time to Job Hunt…Until They Aren’t
From a purely statistical standpoint, November and December are not the friendliest months for job seekers. Interviewers take time off. Budgets are frozen. Decision-makers are harder to pin down. But that doesn’t mean you should throttle back your search entirely.
In fact, pulling back too far now can sabotage your momentum heading into January, when the hiring engines start to rev again and you’re still trying to remember your LinkedIn password.
The Holiday Paradox: Slower, But Not Silent
Yes, many companies are closing the books on the fiscal year and holding off on new headcount until Q1. But here’s the flip side: if a role was approved and posted before the freeze, there’s often pressure to fill it before the budget disappears. No hiring manager wants to lose a position just because it sat vacant on December 31.
And while inboxes may be quieter, that can actually work in your favor. Fewer applicants. Less noise. More time for a recruiter to actually read your message.
The Real Mistake? Waiting Until January to Start
A lot of job seekers tell themselves they’ll “start fresh” in the new year. That’s a great way to lose the first weeks of Q1 to planning, procrastination, and inbox triage. By the time you’re ready to move, hiring teams may already be building candidate pipelines, and you’ll be showing up late to the party.
The better move is to lay the groundwork now, before the January surge. That means:
• Updating your resume and LinkedIn with this year’s wins
• Reaching out to dormant contacts with a warm, low-pressure holiday note
• Scheduling exploratory chats for December and early January while calendars are still open
Networking Doesn’t Have to Be a Sleazy Holiday Grab
This time of year is actually ideal for reconnecting because you don’t need a pretext. A simple “Happy holidays, I’ve been thinking of you” message can reopen a door that’s been closed for years.
And no, it shouldn’t be to ask for a job. You just need to be visible, relevant, and generous. Share an article. Offer a connection. Congratulate someone on a recent win. These are gestures that build trust and visibility so when opportunities do arise, you’re already top of mind.
The Best Time to Job Hunt Is When You Still Have Options
If you wait until you’re desperate, you’ll take whatever you can get. That’s how people end up in roles that burn them out or stall their growth.
The most successful job seekers I’ve worked with, across thousands of campaigns, have two things in common:
1. They keep their skills aligned with what the market actually wants
2. They maintain a network that can get them in the door before the job is even posted
That’s it. Not luck. Not politics. Just consistent, proactive effort…while everyone else is coasting.
Final Thought: Don’t Let the Calendar Dictate Your Career
The holidays are noisy. You’re juggling family, travel, and year-end everything. But if you can carve out even a few hours to move your search forward, you’ll be miles ahead of the pack come January.
Because the worst time to hunt for a job isn’t in November and December. It’s when you’ve waited too long to start.
