The Weather Outside is Frightful...

“I am too busy in December to look for a new role”
“The market goes quiet so I never bother looking”
“Everyone is on shut down mode in the run up to Christmas”

 I have heard all of the above statements in the last few weeks…but the market is heaving!

Why? Well there is a skills shortage (yes I know we all know that!) and companies just can’t afford to take their foot off the gas when it comes to hiring talent, just because Mariah is on the radio and sparkly lights hang on every high street!

Is now a good time to look for a new role?

Quite simply, yes! To be honest, for a lot of skill sets within Cyber Security/IT Security there isn’t really a bad time to look. Yes, headcount approval tends to come just after April for most companies, just after new budgets have been approved but I am seeing more and more companies trying to bring in talent all year around. Good talent is hard to find and actually we work with candidates to find the right opportunity, rather than just work jobs.

My advice? Try and work closely with one, maybe two recruiters and discuss what sort of role you are looking for and let them try and find those roles and perhaps a few opportunities you hadn’t even thought of. It may take up some of your time, a few 5-10 minute calls along with several job specs to review or companies to research, but most recruiters will find the time to call when it suits you.

Are clients/companies still hiring?

Again, yes! With a market that is growing daily with a lack of talent in numbers, employers just can’t afford to turn off their hiring process or go on freeze (no pun intended). In fact, in between the Christmas parties, client entertainment and a few nativity plays, most clients tend to have a bit more time to conduct telephone/skype & face to face interviews, often keen to secure new talent and get you started in mid-January/start of February.

Why should I look now?

Well let’s fast forward to January 4th when most of us probably return to work. It will inevitably be raining, you will have eaten too much and your bank account is probably not where it would normally be 4 days in to the month! You have been keeping an eye on emails, you have a mountain of design work, proposals and POCs to catch up on and your boss is away for another week on his annual skiing holiday…time to update the CV and find a new role that is closer to home, pays more and in a company that appreciates you – sound familiar?

What if that statement was all of the above except you are working your notice, starting a new challenge on the 1st of February, earning ￡5K more on your basic + car allowance, working with different technologies and booked in for a 2 week training course in the States…I know, too good to be true? Well it is a reality, not every time but probably in at least 2 out of 4 instances. In fact, I have 3 people who could be thinking exactly that after their final interviews next week!

Clients/employers love hiring at this time of year as they can secure great talent ready to start in the new year.  They can also enjoy the holiday period knowing the new talent is using this time to take up a week of their notice period, so don’t be fooled, it is a good time for clients!

Yes, we are all busy shopping, buying a few gifts, turkey, Quality Street and tinsel but let’s be honest, we all use apps to order, and Click and Collect services to give us more time to…well it could be to do telephone interviews, skype calls or even at 5.30/6pm face to face interview. Perhaps a little bit of time management, willingness to talk and “I've got to leave at 5pm to pick up a gift” lines could give you an excellent start to 2016.

If you want to find out what the market looks like in your slice of Security, discuss your CV, opportunities and career steps, please contact me anytime on 02392 228237 / 07501370516 / [email protected]