Omicron may be closing down businesses, schools, sporting events and concerts, but the job market is still strong. As of December, the United States government data shows that over 11 million jobs are available. There is a Great Resignation trend in which millions of Americans are quitting their jobs in record numbers. The stage is set for a good time to hunt for a new job.
January is one of the best times of year to seek out a great new job. The start of a new year universally ushers in a warm feeling of promise and new beginnings. Mentally and emotionally, it feels right to start searching for a new opportunity. The action fits in nicely with a person’s New Year’s resolutions. People promise themselves that they will lose weight, stop smoking or drinking, go to the gym, quit complaining about annoying co-workers and micromanaging boss and secure a better job.
Traditionally, over the Thanksgiving Day through the New Year, hiring slows down, as people focus on other priorities. Even though we’ve been careful during the holiday season, most of us have carefully taken vacations, held family gatherings, dined out and met with friends.
During the holiday season, there was a lighter workload, as it's prime time to take vacation and personal days. There’s a collective feeling that it's customary to kind of coast during the last few weeks of November to a little after New Year’s Day. Since there’s a slowdown, bosses didn’t feel the pressure to interview and hire.
By the second or third week of January, things get back to normal. While it didn’t matter that much during the holidays, coming into mid-January, work picks up and the absence of a key employee is felt by everyone. Supervisors become motivated to quickly find a replacement to ensure that the staff is keeping up with their responsibilities.
There will be fear that if a replacement isn’t found for a departed employee, the remaining workers will feel aggrieved that they are forced to pick up the extra workload. In a tight job market, especially one in which it's become socially acceptable to quit with a moment's notice, businesses recognize they must act fast and hire— otherwise, risk seeing a huge increase in attrition.
Be prepared; although January is a great time to find a new job, the first couple of weeks are usually slow moving. The wait for final budget approvals for hiring, engaging recruiters to find suitable candidates and preparing and posting job listings online takes time, especially as people stretch out their vacations into January. Year-end reviews, raises, bonuses and promotions linger into January. Based upon the results, many employees may decide to switch jobs if they feel overlooked and underpaid...