Best Time to Apply For Jobs [In Your Industry]
Many people say timing is key to finding a job. I don’t know how much-planned timing is key, but being in the right place at the right time definitely helps. Today I want to dispel some common myths that I hear about the best time to apply for jobs.
I’m going to cover:
The best months for job searching;
Industry-specific hiring trends
The best days to apply for jobs;
The best time to apply for jobs; and
What you can do to prepare to apply for jobs.
Let’s set some records straight. Here we go.
Best Months to Apply For Jobs
The most common advice out there says that the best months to find jobs are January through March and September through October. These articles often tell you that the summer and December are the worst times to apply for jobs.
Related Article: Do Companies Hire in December? The December Hiring Myth
Well… maybe for some industries that may be true, but not all. And this is the problem with taking a generalized approach to hiring as if all companies were on the same hiring timelines. It’s just silly if you ask me and it certainly isn’t a sophisticated approach. In fact, you may be losing out on job opportunities if you follow this advice.
Here’s the bottom line. Hiring happens around the clock, all year long. There are so many factors that impact which month is busy and which is not including the industry, seasonal peaks in business, fiscal year ends, and more.
For example, some companies target college graduates for new hires and often align their hiring cycles with graduation dates making May a great month to find jobs if you’re a soon-to-be graduate.
Places like Indeed and others say that summer is the worst time to find a job, but the manufacturing industry usually sees a boom in hiring in early summer. And I’m not talking about just labor jobs, there are also white-collar jobs in manufacturing too.
These same sites will tell you that January through March is one of the best times of year to find jobs, but if you’re in the construction industry, this is historically the slowest time of year for new job openings.
Not to mention that people quit jobs all the time - every month of the year. When there is more mobility in the workforce, there are also more job openings.
As you can see, the answer to when is the best month to apply for jobs depends on a lot of things.
Image: Indeed.com’s traffic spikes over the past two years.
Industry-Specific Hiring Times
Let’s take a look at a few industries and the months that they typically do the most hiring. Keep in mind this is based on historical data and job openings don’t always follow the trend (I’m looking at you, pandemic of 2020). But based on data from my own recruiting database, the BLS, and ADP’s payroll reports, here are the usual trends in hiring.
Accounting and Finance
I used to recruit a lot of accounting and finance talent. The best time to apply for jobs in this sector is January through April as tax season ramps up and year-end closes are in full swing for many companies. Public accounting firms also target new graduates into May and again in early Fall. I’ve also seen surges every year in private industry jobs from September through October.
That doesn’t mean that hiring doesn’t happen during other months, but those are the months that typically have the most hiring activity.
Technology
In the tech sector, hiring surges usually coincide with new product releases. This usually means that the best months to apply for jobs are in January, March, and September through October.
Marketing
Marketing surges in hiring also often align with product launches. Typically the best months to find marketing jobs are February, March, September, and October. Again, this doesn’t mean that people don’t hire marketers during other months. Those are just the months that typically have the most activity.
Retail
Retail jobs spike starting in October through December which also coincides with increased sales. While this can include those Christmas jobs that many of us think about, it also includes corporate roles to support those increased sales.
Healthcare
It’s common to see more healthcare jobs in February, March, and again in August. Many of these organizations target new graduates so you’ll see increased activity around graduation dates.
Education
Remember how I said the advice that summer is the worst time to apply for jobs is irresponsible? Take education as an example of that. There is a lot of summer hiring done from May through June in this sector. Summer is the best time to find education jobs.
Manufacturing
I’ve done my fair share of recruitment for the manufacturing industry. While early spring can be a good time to apply for jobs in this sector, there is also a boom in early summer for this industry.
Construction
Construction defies the common advice about January through March being a good time to apply for jobs. It’s not in this space. Of course, this is some nuance depending on what type of construction you’re in (civil, commercial, residential, etc). But overall, January through March is the worst time to find an abundance of jobs in this sector.
In most years, construction hiring typically increases throughout the year, peaking around October.
Best Days to Apply For Jobs
This one is up for debate, but I’ll leave you with my thoughts.
Tuesday
ZipRecruiter released some data last year that showed that Tuesday had the most new jobs posted on their site. There are also several HR blogs that suggest companies post jobs on Sunday night and Monday morning. Some companies may follow that advice, so it could be a good time to look for jobs too.
Weekends
There are news sources that say Saturday is the worst day to apply for jobs, but I don’t know how they arrived at that conclusion. I know many recruiters who post new jobs on Friday so when they come into the office on Monday they have a fresh pool of applicants from over the weekend. So sure, you may not get a response applying for jobs on Saturday, but you might later in the week.
So when is the best day to apply for jobs? Candidly, any day is a good day, but considering that the average job seeker searches job boards Monday through Friday (yes, there are tools that will show you other websites’ traffic patterns), searching over the weekend may give you an edge over your peers with less competition.
Sure they may see the job on Monday when they start their job search back up, but there is a huge advantage to being one of the first applicants.
Best Time to Apply For Jobs
This is where the internet advice gets really wacky. There are several big publications that suggest the best time to apply for jobs is in the morning. They even say not to apply in the afternoon because your application is less likely to be reviewed by a recruiter as they wind down their day.
Following that advice would be foolish if you ask me. And you are asking me because you’re reading my blog. Here’s why.
Recruiters are a funny bunch and many of us work all kinds of hours. No joke, I know several recruiters who will review resumes at midnight because they just couldn’t sleep. I’m one of them.
Recruiters are stationed all across the globe. Just because you applied for a job in Texas, doesn’t mean the recruiter is based there. They could be all the way in Europe. I know one recruiter who is a digital nomad. She recruits for companies in the US but travels overseas. This isn’t that uncommon. There’s no point in waiting until morning to apply when she’s working while you’re sleeping.
Even if a recruiter works 9-5 and you apply in the afternoon or evening, they will most likely review resumes in the order they were submitted. That means the person who applied at 6 pm will get reviewed before the person who waited until the next morning.
The advice that mornings are the best time to apply is so out of touch with reality and how hiring really happens.
The best time to apply for any job is as soon as possible, once you see the job posted. The early bird gets the worm, not the person who waited until the next morning.
How Can You Apply at the Best Times
Watch the Market
If you are currently working, consider planning when you make a change based on your industry norms and trends.
When my wife and I bought our last house, we watched the market for about a year before we started seriously looking. We watched interest rates, prices, and inventory levels and did our best to strike when the market was mostly in our favor. It wasn’t perfect, but we did find a 3% interest rate and our house doubled in value the following year.
We were able to do that with the least amount of pain because we paid attention to what was happening. You can do the same with the job market. This doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t have bought a house if something really good came up earlier, but we didn’t spend a lot of time until we knew the market was ripe. It’s the same with job searching.
If you’re currently employed, consider watching the market and figuring out when the best time to make a move is for you. If you’re unemployed and don’t have a year's worth of savings (who does?) then don’t worry about it. There are always job openings - go work it.
Set Up Alerts
Even if you are in passive mode, watching the market more than you are searching, you can still set up job alerts. Set up alerts on third-party job boards for the right keywords. Set up alerts for companies you may want to work for. This will make everything easier.
It also will make it easier for you to apply as soon as possible. There are apps on the internet that will tell you when a career page has updated a new job so you can apply asap. Web Alert is one of those apps in case you don’t know of one.
Network
Watching the market is great, but talking with others in your industry is often the best way to know when the market has the most opportunity. Hiring managers, recruiters, and even your peers can often give you insight into the best months to find work in your profession.
What Do You Do During Slow Months
Keep Applying
You can’t control the market, but you can control what you do. Even during slow months, set up job alerts, check them daily, and apply to whatever jobs you can find that you are qualified for.
Learn Job Search Skills
If you have the luxury of learning new skills that could open up job opportunities for you, great, go for it. But many of us don’t have the time or money to do that. We need a job now. During the slow months, I would instead focus on learning how hiring happens and what you can do to make the process work in your favor. Read more blogs like mine and consider becoming a member so you can learn even more, faster.
Tighten Up Your Resume
I’m a big fan of what I call a segmented master resume. This is a great time to reflect on your resume and see what improvements you can make. There aren’t as many job openings to apply for, but there are still things you can do to be ready when more openings occur.
If you have a couple hundred dollars, you can hire a resume writer. Here’s my list of the best resume writing services I’ve found. If you’re on a budget, you can use a resume AI tool or check out the coaching options in our members area.
Network
I know you’ve heard it before, but when there aren’t many jobs to apply for, spending more time networking can make a huge difference when the job market does pick back up for your profession. Relationships take time to build and can make job searching much easier. Start building and nurturing them now.
How Far In Advance Should You Look For a Job
The answer to this question is going to vary greatly. It depends on your industry, the job market for that industry, and how unique your skill set is within that industry.
The more unique your skills are, the more likely you’ll find a job sooner rather than later (provided the job market for your skills isn’t terrible).
If you’re one out of 100 people in the country who understands chemical engineering, finance, and product management, you might find a job within a month or two in the energy or finance space. There just aren’t many people with that background so even though there aren’t many jobs, you’ve got a good chance at finding one quickly.
If you’re in customer success within the tech sector or customer service in the logistics industry, you could be one out of A LOT of people. While there may be more jobs available, you will also face increased competition. In this case, it may take you 3 to 6 months to find another job.
In the current economic climate, I advise most people to prepare for at least 6 months.
Best Time to Apply For Jobs FAQ
What is the best month to apply for a job?
This depends on your industry. Most industries follow typical hiring patterns and almost every month of the year has a hiring surge in one industry or another.
What is the best time to apply for a job?
The best time to apply for a job is immediately after it is posted. There is an advantage to being one of the first applicants. Set up job alerts and move fast.
What month do companies hire the most?
Overall, companies typically hire the most in March through April and again in September through October but some industries experience hiring surges at other times of the year.
What is the best time of day to submit an application?
The best time of the day to submit an application is immediately after a job is advertised. As soon as you find a job, apply right away. Do not wait until the next morning.
What month is the hardest to get a job?
This varies greatly by industry, but for many industries, August is a slow month for hiring.
What time do most people apply for jobs?
In my experience as a recruiter, I usually received the most applications around 10 am and again around 1 pm.
Best Time to Apply For Jobs Recommended Reading
Do Companies Hire in December?
Why Do So Many Applications Ghost Me?
My Favorite Job Application Trackers
Cole Sperry has been a recruiter and resume writer since 2015, working with tens of thousands of job seekers, and hundreds of employers. Today Cole runs a boutique advisory firm consulting with dozens of recruiting firms and is the Managing Editor at OptimCareers.com.
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