With the Russian economy in rude health and new employment opportunities opening up, the vexing question of what time of year is best to move jobs has become more and more relevant. Russians traditionally believe that the fall is the time to find the best opportunities, but as the economy matures this nostrum is being challenged.

Many candidates believe that the fall is the most favorable time of year to look for a new job. «Traditionally, activity in the labor market increases at the end of summer. There is a group of companies that stop operating in summer and resume their work in the fall, and this dynamic affects all categories of personnel,» said Oksana Pochtivaya, head of recruiting at AVANTA Personnel recruitment company. «For most Finnish companies, July is a holiday month, after which they start new plans.»

Postponing recruitment interviews until the end of summer could have some advantages. «As a rule, HR managers and other decision makers return from vacation and the recruitment process goes faster than in the summer, when some of them could be out of the office,» said Marina Gorina, consultant at Consort Petersburg.

«Employers want to choose between several candidates, but in summer they can’t find enough people. Potential candidates are also on holiday. Employers wait and the recruitment process slows down. Ultimately, candidates should decide whether they are ready to sacrifice holiday time for job seeking.»

«People rarely quit companies in summer. They take a vacation to rest and gain strength before attending interviews,»Gorina said. However, highly-qualified specialists consider another motive.

But several factors make job searches in the fall more effective. Many Italian companies start recruiting in September. «August is a holiday month in Italy, and Russian managers of Italian companies also take holidays in August. Until September, nobody can approve new subordinates recruited for them,” Samarina said.

«I know several foreign companies that approve their annual budget in August. As a result, the volume of work and staff increase, and the companies start looking for additional personnel,» Samarina said.

Russian companies are also in need of new staff in the fall.

«Sometimes, after the summer period, business owners introduce innovations,» she added. «It could be restructuring of the company or changes in incentive schemes. Such decisions often provoke employees to quit or move to other departments. As a result, the company will need to hire additional staff.»

Some specialists resign seasonally due to the specific requirements of their job. «Accountants often quit the company after the summer holidays. They have certain obligations, so they complete quarterly reports and then move to a new employer,» Pochtivaya said.

Other specialists are also prone to seasonal shifts.» I know a couple of very highly qualified and high-ranking human resources managers who regularly change their job in the fall. They complete the projects they were working on and then leave the company,» Pochtivaya said.

Too late… or too early? Regardless of the season, candidates should not expect that there will be no competition, or that vacant places are simply waiting for them.

Most industrial plants shut down for the summer, and therefore it is a convenient time for them to start recruiting workers. February-March and the four months from September until December are usually the most active recruitments periods for industrial enterprises.

«As a rule, large enterprises have long term strategies for personnel development to compensate for seasonal labor shortages,” Oksana Pochtivaya said.

Most pharmaceutical companies start training programs for new staff in the fall. However, they recruit people for these programs at the beginning of the summer.

Olga Samarina forecasts that by the fall, the number of candidates in the market increases, but not the number of top managers looking for new jobs.

«Decision makers and business owners are wealthy people. Usually they take holidays in September, in the ‘velvet season.’ Without them, top managers cannot be employed. And top managers also normally take a break in September,» she said.

For senior professionals, she suggested October as the best time to look for jobs.

Personnel welcome

Some companies, such as retail chains, are constantly looking for employees, regardless of the season. The fall only increases the shortage of basic personnel. IT and telecom companies recruit new specialists when they start a new project, not necessarily in the fall. New investors coming to the city offer attractive job opportunities.

«From time to time in the auto industry, retail chains, car dealerships, banks and insurance companies, up to 30 percent of personnel quit for a new employer when a new plant, shopping center, car center, bank branch or insurance office opens,» said Yury Mikhailov, Managing Partner of Consort Petersburg.

According to Consort Petersburg, in St. Petersburg there is demand for construction specialists, engineers for production companies and technical personnel as a result of the growing volume of production and opening of new enterprises.

«A number of automakers are to come to the Leningrad Oblast,» continued Mikhailov, «and the question is: Where will all these companies get so many new employees? Will the specialists simply migrate between the plants, worsening the labor shortage and fueling salary increases?»

Individual choice

Season is not the only factor that the candidate ought to consider. Any time of year can be favorable if the person knows what he or she wants and what they can offer a potential employer.

«People look for a new job in any season, if they have serious reasons for doing so,» Mikhailov said.

He considered the fall to be a risky period for job hunting.

«After a summer of relaxing, people are not in top form, while finding an interesting and highly-paid job requires intellectual effort and time. The same is true for the beginning of the year. In Russia, the first half of January is a never-ending feast and frosty stagnation,» he said. Mikhailov considered March-May and October-November the best periods to look for new jobs.

Marina Gorina warned against waiting for a good season to look for new employment. «Interesting vacancies could appear in any season, but candidates miss them if the time is unfavorable. You have to be constantly aware of what is going on in the market, which companies are expanding their staff, which companies are opening up and advertising new vacancies,» she said.

She recommended never giving up. «Job searches can last for several months and even years. Seeing this, and starting the search all over again after three to five rounds of interviews, candidates lose heart and start to appear defeated. But employers want to find a person who radiates success.” Regardless of the season, Olga Samarina advises candidates not to be hasty in making their choice and to carefully analyze the new job, potential bosses and tasks.

«You must find out why the vacancy emerged, and analyze whether you can realize your priorities and ambitions in this particular company,» she said. Mikhailov advised candidates to analyze their strengths, competencies, skills and goals and then investigate the market. «You need to not only analyze the existing vacancies, but actively promote yourself through online resources, directly applying to potential employers and recruiting agencies,» he said. «You should prepare an effective self-presentation and behavioral tactics during the interview, taking into account your previous experience. You have to predict possible questions and prepare short but convincing and irrefutable answers.»

Other important things to consider are the level of responsibility you will have in your new position, employer’s expectations, and compensation packages for similar positions, he added.

«You should be ready for several interviews with employers’ representatives, and know how to negotiate if you are interested in this position and the employer is interested in you.»

By Yekaterina Dranitsyna

Staff Writer