So, the first 31 days of 2024 have come to pass and you still haven’t found a job before Valentine’s Day or the ides of March.
Just because the groundhog of employment didn’t pop up out of the ground and cast a favorable shadow for you isn’t a reason to panic.
After all, it’s just six more weeks till the spring, or thereabouts, if you believe that thing about weather-wise rodents.
According to an article on indeed.com, February is one of the peak hiring months, and still one of the best for sifting through openings.
January is usually a big posting month, and managers begin interviews the following month. However, this takes time and some companies may allow someone to wiggle in as a better option than the initial candidates.
Job seekers should take advantage of the 29-day month (leap year!) to polish their application and communicate with companies that appeal to them.
In contrast, the article states January is a slow month of companies gauging how much resources they will have to allocate and what positions need to be filled, as well as getting holiday cobwebs out of the workplace.
March, by the way, offers extra time to apply – but best not to gamble or procrastinate before the second financial quarter starts in April.
Some more job tips:
- Create a regular routine. According to a 2021 tips article on Forbes.com, job seekers that started off at the New Year and haven’t had any bites may be losing hope. January is sometimes flooded with applicants. February and March is when that might lessen, and thus improve a candidate surfacing above the rest.
- Don’t exhaust yourself. Pace your search with introspection and career improvements to 40 hours a week, as you would in employment, to keep up positivity and balance your home and family needs. Frustration and desperation can gradually creep in if you’re constantly seeing only the same contacts and jobs.
- Find any information if the new year is bringing in a change to your occupation’s thinking. There may be new roles, strategies or even buzzwords to have knowledge of. Show that you can adapt to more than a new office, its rules and faces.
- Don’t be discouraged if your job search doesn’t succeed in these two months. Be prepared and open to finding new contacts or sources for jobs, as well as adjusting yourself to the needs of the evolving workplace.
Keeping this in mind, good luck with continuing your search.
And remember, the SBPA, EDD and One-Stop are always available to help you.
Article images created by DALL-E 3.
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