Does hiring slow down in the summer? Nope!

We’ve all heard it so many times that we assume it must be true: Hiring slows down in June, July, and August. Stacks of resumes sit around unread. Interviews are few and far between. Follow-up emails get the dreaded “out of office” reply. It’s so bad out there that you shouldn’t even bother.

But it’s just not true. Hiring doesn’t necessarily come to a screeching halt in the summer — especially this summer. This year the tech market is hotter than a sweltering July afternoon, and now is the time to take advantage of it.

It’s true that for many companies the biggest recruitment drives come in the spring (when they snap up recent graduates) and fall (when they make sure they are fully staffed for the holidays). January and February are usually the busiest months because managers finally get a budget for new hires.

But when it comes to tech jobs, these rules don’t apply. When companies need to fill a position in fields like software engineering, data science and engineering, or DevOps and security, they need it to happen now. Nobody’s going to delay a crucial hire until after the first of the year.

All the data I’ve seen backs this up. According to a recent report, the number of tech jobs has increased steadily every month so far in 2021. There are currently 47,700 more jobs than at the beginning of the year. Companies are competing with each other to fill many positions, leading to a steady rise in salaries.

We’re seeing those stats reflected here at Averity, where our team is fielding more calls than ever before from employers looking to fill tech positions. We’ve found ourselves hiring new recruiters to meet this increased demand. It’s the type of boom that we haven’t seen in a long time.

What kinds of positions are currently open? We’ve seen everything from entry-level data engineers and full-stack engineers to directors and senior directors of entire software development or marketing analytics teams. Industries range from technology to media, finance, healthcare, and beyond. You can check out our job board for a look at the positions that are currently available.

I’m mentioning all this to make the point that there are no slow periods for tech professionals. There are plenty of jobs out there at the moment, so there’s no reason not to start your job search now. Here are a few things that you should keep in the back of your mind as you begin the process:

Hit the ground running. In times like this when talent is at a premium, you have to strike while the iron is hot. As soon as you are sure you’re in the market for a new job, reach out to a recruiter who specializes in your field. Update your LinkedIn profile to reflect your most recent job and to refresh your mind about what you accomplished previously. (You’d be surprised how many people completely blank about their last job.) Perfect your elevator pitch so you know what you’re going to say when someone asks: “Why are you the right person for this position?”

Cast a wider net. Having their entire workforce working remotely over the past year convinced many companies that they could be more flexible about when employees come into the office. Some tech giants — including Twitter, Spotify, and Square — even announced that their employees can keep working from home forever. That’s especially good news for job applicants who don’t live on the coasts. Employers are much more open to hiring people who live in other parts of the country. We’ve been assisting them in finding the top-tier talent they’re looking for.

Full-time isn’t the only option. Not sure about going back to the office full-time? There are a good number of contract-to-hire positions available, especially in the summer when permanent staffers take time off for vacations. If the job or the company ends up not being a good fit, nobody raises an eyebrow if you decide to leave once your contract expires.

And one more point: Interviewing has never been easier. When you’re working remotely, you don’t need to slip under your desk, hide in the stairwell, find an empty conference room, or talk in cryptic language because you’re worried that someone can overhear you when you’re talking with a recruiter. No need to sneak out on your lunch hour or take a sick day. And when you need to go in for an interview, no one will think twice if you take a vacation day at this time of year.

Everybody believes the myth that summer is a terrible time to look for a job, so the number of applications go way down. Hiring managers have more time to actually read your resume. Interviews are often more relaxed. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of the fact there are fewer people competing for the job that’s perfect for you.