With summer now upon us, you may be wondering whether to pause or delay your job search.

While it’s true that the recruiting process can slow down during the summer months, my personal opinion is that the summer is actually a great time to look into new roles.

There are plenty of jobs on the market, a smaller candidate pool, and more free time to produce high-quality applications. Drink all the rose you’d like, but don’t shut down your job search process during these summer months.

Let me elaborate…

Job postings are plentiful

There are a few types of jobs that tend to be open during the summer months.

Brand new jobs: Budget approvals for new roles will generally happen at the beginning of the year, but there’s only so much hiring can reasonably happen in the first quarter, which means that many recruiting teams are still going strong in Q2 and Q3.

Replacement roles: Most companies pay out bonuses at the start of the year, which means most bonus-eligible employees stay on board until they’ve received those payments. Once that happens, turnover begins, and companies start seeking people to replace the ones who left.  

Entry-level roles: Many companies factor in graduation when hiring for entry-level roles, so there are more junior-level roles on the market during the summer. Even if you are not an entry-level employee, you might consider applying to these roles if you’re making a career change or you’re looking to get your foot in the door at a company you love.

There’s also less competition

Many people do halt their job searches over the summer, so by keeping yourself in the game, you’re giving yourself an automatic edge.

Since the volume of applicants is lower, recruiters may be more likely to respond to a cold call or email. Companies don’t want to wait to fill critical openings, even if finding candidates is more challenging during the summer.

It’s easier to get out of work to interview

If you have a current full-time job, you probably find it pretty hard to get out of work to interview. Leaving the office for a few hours is not always ideal, and using excuses to leave early or come in late can feel uncomfortable.

During the summer months, your absence may be a little less obvious. Even if you don’t have summer Fridays, there’s often still a more relaxed atmosphere, which makes it easier to slip away for a few hours if needed.

You’ll have more time to focus on producing quality applications.

Depending on your industry, your office may have considerably slower days during the summer. If you do have shorter days, summer Fridays, or a few extra long weekends, you can allocate some extra time to applications.

As always, you should aim for quality over quantity. Long time readers know that a quality application means you’re qualified for the job, you’re excited by the job posting, and you feel strongly about working for that company.

It also means you took the time to customize your cover letter and network with people at the company. This extra attention can make a world of difference in your job search.

The downside

All this being said, things will move slower around this time of year. Vacations and long weekends mean that scheduling can be tougher to nail down. The longer it takes to schedule interviews and make decisions, the longer the hiring process will take overall.

Be patient and remember that at the end of the day, you can still end up with a great offer.

For those of you in the process of summer job searching, best of luck!