If you are seriously considering making a career move, I would not put your job search on hold simply because the holidays are approaching.
There is a common perception that hiring stops during November and December and then suddenly starts again in January.
In my experience recruiting in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession for nearly 30 years, hiring does not work that way.
Animal Health companies and veterinary practices still have positions to fill. Candidates still interview. Offers are still made. People still resign, organizations still grow, and new hiring needs continue to emerge.
The pace may change around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s as people take vacation and schedules become more complicated. An interview process that might normally move quickly could take longer because one of the decision-makers is out of the office. But a slower process is very different from a nonexistent one.
In fact, there can be advantages to beginning your search before the new year.
If you wait until January to start thinking about your career, you are starting from the beginning. You still need to update your resume, evaluate opportunities, reconnect with people in your network, talk with recruiters, prepare for interviews, and determine what you actually want from your next position.
If you begin that process now, you can enter the new year already prepared.
That does not mean you should rush into another job just because you are unhappy in your current one. One of the biggest mistakes someone can make is focusing so much on getting out of a situation that they do not spend enough time thinking about what they are moving toward.
Before beginning a search, ask yourself some important questions.
What do I want to be different in my next position? Am I looking for greater responsibility? Better leadership? More opportunity for advancement? A different schedule? Higher compensation? More flexibility? A healthier workplace culture? A different geographic location?
And perhaps most importantly: What would make a new opportunity compelling enough for me to leave my current position?
Knowing those answers can help you evaluate opportunities much more effectively.
There is another reason I encourage people not to automatically wait until January: the right opportunity does not necessarily operate according to your preferred calendar.
I have worked with candidates throughout my career who were not actively planning to make a move when an excellent opportunity presented itself. Sometimes career advancement comes from conducting an active job search. Other times it comes from being open to a conversation.
That is why I encourage Animal Health and Veterinary professionals to think about their careers continually rather than only when they desperately need a new job.
You can have a conversation with a recruiter without committing to leave your employer. You can learn about an opportunity without accepting it. You can interview and decide the position is not right for you. Exploring the market gives you information, and information can help you make better career decisions.
The holiday season can also be a good time for reflection. As the year comes to an end, think about what you accomplished during the past 12 months and where your career is headed.
- Are you still learning?
- Are you being challenged?
- Are you being appropriately recognized and rewarded for the value you bring?
- Do you respect the leadership of your organization?
- Are there realistic opportunities for you to advance?
- Are you closer to your long-term career goals than you were a year ago?
If the answers to those questions leave you dissatisfied, you do not have to wait for January 1 to begin exploring what else might be possible.
At the same time, remember that conducting a job search and accepting a job are two very different things. Starting now does not mean you need to have a new job by Christmas. It simply means you are taking responsibility for your career and giving yourself time to make a thoughtful decision.
After nearly three decades in recruiting, one thing I have seen repeatedly is that the best career moves are usually not made out of desperation. They are made when someone understands their value, knows what they want, and is willing to explore the right opportunity when it presents itself.
So, should you start looking now or wait until after the holidays?
If you are thinking seriously about making a career move, start now.
Update your resume. Think about what you want next. Reconnect with your professional network. Talk with a recruiter you trust. Pay attention to opportunities in the market.
Then, if the right opportunity comes along—whether that is in November, December, January, or six months from now—you will be prepared to recognize it.
Your career does not operate on a holiday calendar.