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Job seeking

Does the job market go quiet from Melbourne Cup Day to February?

Trevor Churchley ·

Trevor Churchley smiling on a black background with the label Christmas job market and the words: Does the job market go quiet through from Melbourne Cup Day to February? My answer will surprise you

Last week I was asked at least 10 times what the job market does after Melbourne Cup. What they really mean is should I bother?

The expectation is that it slows after the Cup and stays quiet until February, so plenty of job seekers give themselves permission to stop. In this market that's the worst thing you can do.

The market doesn't go quiet. Lots of people hibernate from the last working Friday in December until after the first week of January, then it picks up again. Job ads slow down, but vacancies still appear, and you've got to be in it to win it.

The bigger issue is momentum. You can't snap your fingers and have people come running with vacancies. Building your brand and your network takes time.

It's seven working weeks until the Christmas break. Across our programs, including The Hustle Game, the average time to land a job is around 9.5 weeks. Start now and you could be in a new role before Christmas.

I don't have a crystal ball or a magic wand, but the people who get busy and hustle generally get there faster than the ones who apply and wait.

So my message to you is this: now is always a good time to start your job search, and now is also a great time to hustle.

Join the conversation on LinkedIn

Come and meet us at a free event.

Job Seeker Café every Friday and The Hustle Game Bootcamp every second Wednesday. Free, online, with Trevor.

Want 1-on-1 help? See career coaching for IT job seekers, or CareerAGENT if you're an IT contractor between contracts.

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