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Industry Hiring Cycles

Did you know industries will hire new talent at different times throughout the year?  To plan your search effectively, there are a few important things for you to be aware of before you begin talking with employers.

In general, the fall is a very active time for engineering, technology, manufacturing, accounting, investment banking, finance and consulting organizations to hire talent – both full time and internships. In the winter and throughout spring, you’ll see opportunities shift to include advertising, media, public relations, consumer products, scientific research, most government and nonprofit, education and the arts/creative industries. You should also keep in mind that larger organizations tend to hire earlier in the year as they are better able to forecast their needs 6 to 12 months in advance, while smaller and mid-size organizations tend to hire in the spring, much closer to an actual start date. A good example of this approach would be federal government and large scale public service/non-profit opportunities vs. state/local government and regional/local non-profits.

Here are some important tips:

  • If you are not sure when the industries that you are most interested in will be hiring, talk with a career coach to better understand the hiring cycles you’ll be working with for internships or entry level jobs.
  • If the industry you are most interested in won’t actively hire until later, be sure to use your fall semester wisely. Do background research and begin reaching out to alumni and parents to make connections and have important networking conversations.
  • Use your time wisely – don’t procrastinate and put it off. Career work and preparation requires time and effort, just like everything else you are juggling as a full-time student.
  • Check out the CCA’s Career Community pages as they provide industry specific information that will be helpful as you search for opportunities or explore career options.
  • The CCA is here to help you create a search plan that will work best for you – whatever your career interests may be – log on to Handshake to make an appointment.

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