Summertime and the Moving is Easy

by Cormac Spencer, Consultant and Director with Link Personnel Services

Although traditionally a quiet period for the jobs market, in recent years summer has become a time of opportunity for those looking for jobs in Dublin

For most people summer is a time to relax. The travails of work can be pushed aside and people are able to sit back and enjoy the sunshine. Workers who are unhappy in their jobs often put plans to move on hold for the season, preferring to occupy their minds with thoughts of beach towels rather than expending the mental energy required to properly approach a job search. Those with children in education may also think it better to wait until the kids are back in school to start looking for new opportunities. The conclusion arrived at is that the best time to start looking is when things have settled down after the summer. Traditionally, this reduction in people searching for a new challenge was matched by a drop in vacancies as employers also took holidays, and put hiring on the long finger. However in the last couple of years as the jobs market in Dublin has picked up, this seasonal dip in vacancies has not been as evident. Instead, employers who are put to the pin of their collar and in need of staff ASAP are continuing to recruit through the season.

Candidates who are fed up in their current employment could be well advised to make their move in the summer months. The theory is based on simple tactics. By following the crowd and waiting to start a job search until holidays are over and kids have started back in school, candidates open themselves up to increased competition. The problem is that once September rolls around everyone starts eying up the same opportunities, thus reducing the individual’s chances of success greatly. Conversely if people start job hunting in May \ June \ July then the candidate pool is reduced and chances of success enhanced. In recent summers I have found that rather than fighting off 2 or 3 other applicants at final round interview stage, candidates often find themselves as the only person to reach this step of the process. With an employer champing at the bit to hire someone, interviewees who can produce a reasonably assured performance are very likely to get the job.

There are many elements that need to be in place to secure the right job. Ability, experience and qualifications all count, but timing is a big factor too. It’s a reality that the best person for the job doesn’t always get it. One of the reasons for this is that at the moment an employer is hiring all of those candidates best matched to the vacancy may not be looking. Every advantage should be seized upon when looking for the right job and by writing off the summer period as a bad time to move, people are ignoring the tactical advantages of being available to be in the right place at the right time.

For the summer of 2016 there are opportunities available across the board. Candidates looking for a new role should not limit the scope of their search. By striking while the iron is hot, they can beat the crowds to the opportunities that suit them best and start planning an even better holiday for next year.

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