Every year the same myth does the rounds: July is a dead month for job hunting. Recruiters are on holiday, hiring managers are distracted, and nothing meaningful happens until everyone's back at their desks in September.
It's a comforting excuse to put your search on pause. It's also wrong.
The truth is that summer works in your favour. Fewer people are actively applying, which means less competition for every role you go for. Businesses don't stop hiring just because the sun's out either. Many are quietly working through headcount plans before the traditional September rush, which means the people who stay visible now often get seen first.
So what should you actually be doing this month?
The starting steps
Start with your CV and LinkedIn profile. July is the perfect window to properly update both, add recent achievements, tighten your summary, and make sure they reflect where you want to go next, not just where you've been.
Next, use the quieter inboxes to your advantage. Hiring managers and recruiters get far fewer messages in summer, so a well-written, direct email or LinkedIn message is far more likely to get read and remembered than the same message sent in the September scramble.
Finally, use this time to properly research the companies you actually want to work for.
Look at who's growing, who's hiring, and who matches what you're looking for, so that when you do reach out or apply, it's targeted rather than scattergun.
September will bring the crowd back. The candidates who move now, while everyone else waits, are the ones who'll already be in the conversation by the time it does.
September is the rush in the recruitment industry, and the summer can be used as a breather, but it can also be used as a way to more intentionally apply for the roles you want.
If you are looking to start your job hunt this summer, contact Lets Recruit today!
Tel: 0333 577 7157
Email: hello@letsrecruit.co.uk
