Back-to-School, Back-to-Work: Resetting Your Job Search Plan for Fall Hiring

By Paul Cecala, GCDF, August 7, 2025

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

While many assume August is a quiet period for hiring, it’s actually the perfect time to revitalize your job search. With September and October marking the second busiest hiring window of the year, the groundwork you lay now can lead directly to those coveted fall offers.

I often hear the excuse from job seekers, Isn’t everyone on vacation in August And yes, while many are enjoying their last summer fling, this slowdown often means those still in the office have more time to connect and engage. It’s an ideal window to strengthen your network without the usual hustle and bustle.

So, let’s look at some specific steps you can take to jump-start your job search at this time.

Strategize For Success: Plan Your Next Career Move

Like many businesses, now is a great time to review and plan for the coming season and create career goals for the near future.

If you are working:

Even if you’re currently employed, August is an opportune moment to assess your career trajectory and future-proof your professional path.

1. Start reviewing the past year for accomplishments, successes, challenges, and, importantly, predicted coming business disruptors.
2. Identify potential near term skills gaps and plan for training to fill those gaps.
3. Review your organization’s financial position in the industry and your department’s role in its profitability or success. Determine whether you feel safe staying there or need to consider a change.
4. Recognizing that, statistically, jobs last only 2 years, identify if you should be preparing for your next move and start looking.

If you are not working:

For those actively seeking new roles, this period is ideal for a critical review of your job search strategy.

1. Review your job search process for successes and failures.
2. Adjust the process to do more successful activities and less of those that are not.
3. If your process is to simply apply for jobs, consider adopting a more strategic approach to uncover hidden opportunities. (For a comprehensive guide, check out my book, Take Control of Your Job Search, available on Amazon.com).

Networking A Necessary Life Skill For Career Success

Most importantly, it is time to network like crazy!

1. Do you have a list of the hiring managers you want to work for? Time to create one! Every Monday, reach out to 5 of them. Never ask for a job when building the relationship. Instead ask questions about their business and ways you can help them!
2. A unique strategy I’ve seen success with comes from a business trainer friend: each day, pick a random letter of the alphabet and reach out to 2-3 contacts whose names start with that letter. This simple approach helps you systematically reconnect with your entire network and discover unexpected opportunities.
3. Attend at least 1 professional association meeting every month.
4. Attend at least 1 industry association meeting each month
5. Attend at least 1 job seeker networking meeting each month
6. Have a goal to meet and set a coffee conversation with at least 3 people at each meeting you attend.

By attending these meetings, you are gaining access to both people employed in your field and industry as well as those not directly related to your work. This diversity provides for innovative ideas as well as direct access to hiring managers you want to network with.

Targeted Approach: Pinpoint Your Dream Organizations

I cannot tell you how many people and potential clients I meet who cannot give me a list of even 5 organizations they are currently seeking to access for employment! Having such a list of target companies is critical for successful networking and, frankly, for a successful job search! Being able to share with the people you meet the names of the organizations you want to work for is a necessary piece of information for them to help you.

1. Create a comprehensive list of the appropriate organizations in your target industry(ies).
2. Research the names of the department heads who would be your boss in that organization.
3. When discussing your goals with your network, proactively share the names of these companies and hiring managers. You’ll be surprised how often your connections can provide valuable insights or direct introductions to mutual contacts.
4. Ask your network for an introduction to the mutual connection you want to access.

Get Focused To Reduce Frustration and Lost Time

In today’s competitive job market, an aimless job search can lead to frustration and prolonged unemployment. Many are finding their search is taking significantly longer than before. Most people I speak with report that their job search is taking 25% to 50% longer now than last year. People I speak with who have no system or plan report their job search has been going 12+ months with no end in sight.

However, the good news is that with a focused strategy and proactive approach, you can significantly reduce your time to employment. My clients using some of these techniques are finding work within 6 to 9 months today.

Ready to transform your job search from frustrating to fruitful? Don’t let August slip by as a missed opportunity. Connect with me today to develop a personalized game plan that leverages these strategies and puts you on the fast track to your next career opportunity. Together we can create a winning strategy for you!

 

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Paul Cecala

Paul Cecala can help you navigate to your success. Learn more about his services here.