Massive Monday
Massive Monday
It’s just another manic Monday… or so the song goes. But actually today, Monday 6th January, is not just another Monday. Today is Massive Monday, the most popular day for job seekers to look for a new role. Couple Massive Monday with the news that 6th January is the most depressing day of the year and you can understand why people up and down the country are today reaching for their second coffee by 9am!
According to research, recruitment websites receive more traffic on the first Monday back at work after the New Year than any other day, hence the term Massive Monday. There are many reasons why people start looking for a new role on their first Monday back in the office after the festivities of Christmas and New Year. It could quite simply be that the days they have had off over Christmas have given them time to sit back and assess where their career is going. In the day to day routine of work and home life we rarely get a moment to sit back and take stock. A few days holiday provides the time to think about your career outside of daily routine allowing you to consider where your career path is taking you and if that is the way that you want to go. This time and space for reflection means that you get the answers that you need regarding your career. If it isn’t going the way that you want then come the first Monday back in the office you decide to do something about it, biting the bullet whilst your reflections and ultimate decision are still fresh in your mind.
Another reason could be linked to the other fact about Monday 6th January – that it is the most depressing day of the year, apparently. Granted, the first Monday after the Christmas and New Year break isn’t the best. It is dark, cold, and you are up far earlier than your body has got used to. You are also likely on some sort of crazy diet to offset the festive excess so the usual Latte that would help ease you into a more human state is a no go. When put like that I can understand why today isn’t the best of days! However, it is only truly depressing if you are unhappy in your job. If you enjoy your job and what you do then it offsets the cold, dark morning. I am not saying that I came singing and dancing into the office this morning (did anyone?!) but I do love my job and I was looking forward to the day ahead and what it may bring. If the thought of returning to the office and getting back into work fills you with dread and depression then chances are that you are one of the thousands of people logging on and heading straight for a recruitment website.
If you have made the decision to make a change then my advice would be to think very carefully about your next step. Don’t rush into anything, think long and hard about what you want to do next and how you are going to do it. Speak with professionals – recruiters who specialise in your area – but always ensure that they understand that it is highly confidential. You do not want to find yourself out of a job before you have decided what you want to do as a result of your employer discovering that you are seeking a new role. I constantly speak with candidates who are considering a career move but are unsure how to do it. My knowledge of the market enables me to help them decide what they want to do. I never tell a candidate what to do but I provide the advice and support that they need in order to come to a decision as to what they want to do next. Once that has been decided my next step is to secure that role for them. There is nothing I like more than helping a candidate to find their dream role, whether that is simply the next step on the career ladder or a completely different move.
For some of the thousands of job seekers heading to recruitment websites this morning today is the start of something new, a decision to make that move that they have been considering for years. For others, the initial frustration and depression of today will ease and they will settle back into their role and not think about moving again until Massive Monday 2015. Either way, and regardless the outcome, specialist recruiters like myself are here to help and assist along the way.
To confidentially discuss your career move, or for a conversation regarding the market generally, please contact me at lucy.tootell@temporisrecruitment.co.uk or call 01484 650233.