I've known a number of people who are convinced they've analyzed the right times to go after a better job. Toe in particular had a theory that the only two days of the week to look for a job were Monday and Tuesday. “The end of the week is always dead," he told me with a straight face.
His theory was that because most jobs are advertised by personnel recruiters and companies in the Sunday papers, you had to be there no later than Tuesday. After that, all the jobs had been gobbled up, and you wasted carfare, shoe leather, and time making the rounds on the final three days of the week.
The fact is that most jobs are not advertised, and those that are in the Sunday papers were probably written on Wednesday and turned in to the newspapers on Thursday for their Sunday editions. I urged my friend to consider the leg up he would have by being in contact with a personnel recruiter or company towards the end of the week, when they're getting ready to submit ads for new job openings to the newspapers. He didn't seem to appreciate my logic, and the last time I spoke with him he was still in the same job and bemoaning the lousy job market out there.
Some job seekers avoid looking for a new and better position on days when the weather is bad. They postulate that on such days interviewers are generally depressed. The weather is really bad, they go on to say, interviews are rushed because many of their staff have stayed home. Think of the dilemma job seekers face if they believe in looking for work only on Monday or Tuesday, and in fair weather. If snow happens to fall on those two days, that wipes out an entire week.
So far as I'm concerned, the best possible day to look for a job is Monday through Friday, preferably on those days when the weather is at its worst. On those days, all the fair-weather job hunters are huddled up at home which translates into less competition for you.
Not only that, showing up for a job interview on a rotten day says something very positive about you, the sort of thing that employers are always seeking. It says that you're a person who's really interested in the job, who isn't afraid to go out in bad weather (which means you'll take fewer days off than those individuals who never venture out unless the sun is shining). It says to an employer that you're a person who, by nature, works hard and doesn't allow adversity-climatic or otherwise-to get in the way of accomplishing what you've set out to do.
This tendency on the part of some people to limit their chances of finding a better job because of faulty pre conceived notions extends to all aspects of life. I once met a salesman who had to rank as one of the leading failures in his industry. We talked about his lack of success, and he explained to me what had caused it. (Allow me to exaggerate a bit to make my point.)
There was no sense calling on customers in January, because everyone was weary after the holidays. In February the weather kept most customers out of their offices. March was a transition month; the long winter was over, and they simply weren't in a buying mood.
We all know what's wrong with trying to sell anything in April. The IRS occupies everyone's minds throughout the month. I was pleased to hear from him that May was generally pretty good, except that more and more people were beginning to plan for summer vacations, which distracted them from his sales pitch. All the buyers were attending their kids' graduations in June, and everyone is on vacation in July and August, so why bother trying to call them?
September wouldn't be a bad month for a salesman except that's when families are driving their kids to college. Clearly, October was the prime month for any sales man to make his mark. The problem was that when this individual tried to get through the door in October, no one knew him because he hadn't been there all year.
November? That means Thanksgiving. December? There we go into that holiday season again, when no one is interested in buying anything except holiday gifts.
That same approach actually represents the way some job seekers think. They don't bother looking for work in December because of the holidays. They avoid the summer months because those in a position to hire are on a vacation. Besides, it's hot and sticky and you walk into the interview not looking your best. Better to wait until October-provided, of course that people in your industry are hiring in October.
And so it goes.
If you're unemployed, looking for a job is a full-time occupation. At least, it should be. If you were working in a job, you would be there Monday through Friday, from at least nine until five. Seeking a better job should command even more time and effort-including nights and weekends. The more time and effort you expend, the better your odds are for success. More leads are produced which translates into more opportunities from which to select.
If you're seeking a better job from the more secure base of being employed, you obviously can't devote you full energies to it. You can, however, apply the same diligent effort as though you were creating your own business on the side.
In either case, you are engaged in the selling of a product-you! That product has usefulness twelve months a year, but if you pick and choose the times you'll go out and market it, you'll soon find that your share on the market is pretty skimpy.
