Executive Search Advice for Summer

Executives in transition will often ask me about when the hiring season slows down or comes to a stop.   I am usually asked this question in the summer and it is almost as though some of them are looking for my permission to take off the summer from their job search.

So when do things slowdown in executive search?

Well, search does not operate in the same cycles as they used to operate.

It used to be that in September, October and January through May were the active times of year.  Summer and late Fall/ early winter were the off season.

Things are much more spread out now as business is more competitive in many more sectors and there is a more of a desire to constantly tweak the ways companies operate.  August, Late November and December are now the only slow months for hiring. (Vacation and Christmas combined with end of fiscal/calendar year budgets for many companies)

Advice:

Continue to schedule meetings and network while you are not working. Summer is a time where people feel good and are often more willing to help facilitate meetings.

When people tell me they have taken the summer off, or a year off, I often want to tell them that it shows. They are often not delivering sharp presentations, can often struggle in being direct with their professional intentions and they often fail to deliver concise and efficient answers.

Don't take summers off from your job search or assume that nobody hires in July.

You might be thankful that you kept your skills sharp while your competition falls into a summer slumber mode.

Farewell,

Mike