Feb 4, 20237 min read

Is February a good time to look for a job

Is February a good time of the year to look and apply for a new job ?

The short answer is Yes, February is generally considered a good time of year to apply for a new job as many companies have new budgets and hiring plans for the upcoming year. Additionally, many people make career changes or job search in the new year, so companies may have more open positions to fill.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Timing: As mentioned earlier, February is a good time to apply for a job as many companies have new budgets and hiring plans for the upcoming year. Everybody is back in the office and settled in after the December holidays and returning to work in January. Try to apply as early as possible to demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm for a position in your target company.
Apply your mind to your Cover Letter: Studies have shown that the average recruiter scans a CV for 6 seconds, so your cover letter is critical, you need to bring across why your CV requires further reading in just a few seconds, else you end up at the bottom of the pile.
Be prepared for competition: The job market can be competitive during this time, as many people have similar goals to find new employment. Make sure your application stands out by highlighting your qualifications and highlighting what makes you unique.
Follow-up: If you don't hear back right away, don't be afraid to follow-up with the hiring manager. It's important to show your continued interest in the position.
Research the company: Make sure you research the company and the role you're applying for. This will give you a better understanding of what they're looking for and how you can tailor your application to meet their needs.
Networking: Networking is always important when looking for a job, but it can be especially useful in February when many people are looking for new employment. Leverage your personal and professional networks to learn about open positions and to make connections with hiring managers.

But what about if there are no jobs advertised, how can i increase my chances of getting a job?

The job market is indeed tough, and its not surprising to see hundreds of people arriving for a single advertised position, it is really tough, so what can you do to find yourself a job.

Start with homework

The first step that you need to do is homework, you need to identify companies in town that you believe will fit either your skillset or that you would like to work at for an extended period of time. This research needs to be intense, who are they, what do they do, what advertisements are they placing in the market, can you identify any potential need that you can fill?

Write an impact cover letter

Once you identified at least 5 companies, then you have to start writing a high impact cover letter, this letter would be the first thing that your targeted company will see, prior to looking at CV's, in fact very few companies even look at applicants that just sends a CV, your cover letter is critical.

In this cover letter you need to attract the attention of the reader to indicate that you researched their company, why you find them interesting, stating that you believe you can add value and importantly very defined reasons why you believe you can add value.

You also need to show credibility and trust in this cover letter, it is a fact that many small and medium businesses are very wary to employ people unless they absolutely have to, sad but true, they have a fear of employing a person that cannot do the work or would not be a good fit, and then having to go through a very frustrating process to terminate such a person. Therefore you need to capture the attention of the reader by having a short end statement on references of previous positions, and if you do not have then you need to state character references from someone you know.

Do not forget to state your contact details, when you will be available and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Here we placed an example of a cover letter, this letter is based on targeting a company that did no advertisements for any positions, and targeting a sales position, so its a cold call for a job...

Example Cover Letter

Dear [Insert Name]

I researched your company recently as I have an immense interest to join your team, this based on the recent ads I saw where you advertised [Insert Product/Service] , sparking my interest further as I firmly believe that I can add commercial value to your company, at the least I think that a quick meet and greet would not be a waste of your time.

In summary I think the three reasons it would be worthwhile to meet me and why I believe I can add value are as follows:

Reason 1: State a concrete reason based on your research and how that matches a value that you can offer, an example would be something like this; Your product is aimed at the youth segment, I have built a comprehensive and loyal Instagram community over several years within this segment that I believe could be unlocked for value.
Reason 2: Again state a concrete reason based on your research and how that matches to a value that you can offer, continuing on the above an example would be something like this; You have a high value product, therefore targeting the higher value segments in the market, I understand the segmentation approach to high value customers and have the drive to build a solid portfolio for the business in this segment.
Reason 3: Similar to above the 3rd reason also needs to be based on your research and how that matches a value that you can offer, an example would be something like this; The business catchment area is in Potchefstroom, I understand the dynamics of the local market, and combined with my focused approach I believe I could increase the volumes within the area.

I have a trustworthy and authentic character, as evidenced from my references which I can provide when we meet. I also have a strong commercial acumen and understand the importance of gross margin, volume targets and the actions required to meet targets, and I have strong drive to build a solid portfolio of profitable customers.

I do understand the risk associated with employing a resource that could possibly not sail the ship, and the subsequent frustrations that could cause in a relationship, yet I assure you my intentions are positive and my value add ability concrete.

Could I request that you consider my reaching out to you, allow me a few minutes of your time to meet you and to further firm up your confidence of my ability to add value to your business.

Looking forward to hearing from you and please feel free to reach me either by phone or WhatsApp at [Insert Number] or by email [insert email], you are also most welcome to have a look at my social media profiles on facebook at [insert facebook URL] and my Instagram at [Insert Instagram], my full CV can be viewed here [Insert CV Link]

Sincerely looking forward to hearing from you

[Your Name]

Note: Above is an example and you would have to adjust according to your targeted company, do make sure that you are honest in all your statements and that you are authentic in your approach, else your efforts will just lead to failure and not being able to secure any success.

Tip: You can register a free online CV on The Go-To Guy at this link: Online CV Register

Apply your mind to your phone style

Companies may start calling you, and therefore you need to start thinking about your phone style... first step start answering your phone with a bit of "energy", especially since too many of us answer a phone thinking it may be a spam call :) You need to answer all your calls with an energetic "Hello" and then state your name... practice this > Hello! [Your Name] Speaking...

You should by this time also have prepared for this call when it comes, have all your answers ready to have a confident conversation with the company calling, bring across a positive energy, do not just "chat" with no emotion, this call is as important as the cover letter.

Review Your Facebook and Other Social Profiles

It is a fact that most companies today go and view social media profiles of potential employees to view from a distance who they are talking to, and although your personal life should have no bearing on the job you do the reality is that by nature people are biased and they "read" things based on viewing people from a distance, in this case your Facebook page.

It would be beneficial if you either go and review your profile and your posts, or if you go and set your profiles to be viewed only by friends and family.

Do not forget your WhatsApp profile picture either, update this to be reflective of what you are trying to achieve, if you do not have a great picture then replace it with an avatar.

Have a Web and WhatsApp CV Ready

You need to have ready on your phone a short CV, and no we are not talking about the standard CV that is sent by hundreds of people to companies everyday, we are talking about an impactful short bio that you can send at any time, and if you can include your online profile/CV link in this short bio.

Here is an example of a short WhatsApp Bio, based on the profile earlier mentioned in the Cover Letter

Name: [Insert Name]

Bio: Energetic, goal driven commercial sales person with a drive for profitable business in the higher value segments of the market, great influence in the youth segments and ability to drive and meet targets.

Online CV Link: [Insert Link to Online CV/Linkedin Page]

Tip: You can register a free online CV on The Go-To Guy at this link: Online CV Register

In conclusion

Jobs are truly scarce and it impacts us on so many levels, you need to stand out of the crowd, you need to add real value to a business and you need to put effort in at every level, yiur chances of success would greatly increase as a result.

We hope that these few tips and information helps you to find that dream job!

Resources