New Year New me? Why you should apply for a new job now

As 2022 is quickly drawing to a close, there are a select few motivated job seekers taking advantage of this time of year by getting their applications in ahead of the masses.

However, December can be a difficult period in the recruitment world. It is often the view that people want to hold out till the new year to begin their job search, and as a result, there are only a select few wanting to get in and sorted before the year’s out.

Whilst a ‘New Year, New Me’ may seem like a good time to start your job search, why not get ahead of the game and start the New Year as you mean to go on… with a new job!

We first took to LinkedIn to gauge the public’s view of whether people would search for a new job now, or whether they would wait until the new year.

Here are the results:

The poll indicated that the majority of people (82%) said they would apply for a job now before the New Year, and only 18% said that they would wait until the New Year.

People even made valuable comments such as: “My bills won’t wait so why should I?”

As a specialist recruitment company, we at Sphere strongly agree with the 82% of the public and are here to tell you why now is the best time to apply for jobs, instead of waiting for the new year.

 1. Get ahead of the crowd

Spoiler - everyone else will be waiting for January, meaning there is much more competition for the same number as jobs as there are now. Recruiters and hiring managers will be swamped with applications in January and you have much less chance of standing out against competitors. You will be in a much better position applying now, putting yourself ahead of the crowd and getting your new role sorted before the surge of candidates come in in the new year when they will begin their job search. Fewer applicants mean more chance of your CV being noticed and a quicker hiring process, it also means there is more room for negotiation on salaries or flexibility.  So, get ahead of the crowd and start applying now!

2. New Year, New You?

How nice would it be to secure that job now for a January start? You can relax over Christmas and know that you will start the new year in your new role! The end of the year can be a lot calmer in terms of workloads for companies, making it easier for them to give more time for the recruitment process. On the flip-side January is often a very extremely busy period for businesses, so trying to fit in interviews can also be very difficult. If recruitment takes place at the end of the year, you can be fully trained and inducted, so you’re ready to hit the ground running in January, just like the rest of the workforce. January starts for any job offers you get now are not a problem and can be a nice start to your new year – for all those ‘new year, new me’ folk.

3. Bye-bye budgets

One of the best parts of applying for jobs at the end of the year is that companies are using up their 2022 Recruitment budgets. The truth is, heads of departments within most companies will project their hiring plans for Q1 - Q4 well in advance so that the yearly budget for hires can be approved by their Finance Director. Any additional hiring budget will need to be utilised before the end of the year to ensure a similar hiring budget can be secured for the following year. But what does this mean to you? Well, if companies have money lying around that they need to use, or lose, then guess what is likely to happen when it comes to offer - more money! Another great reason why you should be applying for jobs now!

4. But…

And if you are worried about waiting for end-of-year bonuses or commission, many companies offer guarantees and sign-on bonuses to offset these – so although you might miss out on your annual bonus, a sign-on bonus will be waiting for you on your arrival. Don’t let this stop you from applying for a role now, you may miss out on more important benefits!

So, it’s time to start ignoring the myth that you should not apply for jobs in December and wait out for the New Year and start applying now!

If you’re ready for a career change, see what jobs we have available here.

Or if you are looking to hire, we can also help! Check out our website here.