Hey {{ first name | reader }},
“Nobody hires at the end of the year,” amiright?
I hear some version of this every November. So let me pull up a chair and tell you what was really going on in my head when I was a Sales Manager hiring for my team.
Inside a hiring manager’s head in November
Headcount planning for next year is in full swing. My director wants to know who I need on the team next year. Then, in the same meeting, comes the question I’m dreading: why is the role I already have still open?
An empty seat in December is a problem. Budgets reset in January, and headcount that isn’t filled by the end of the year will disappear. It’s “use it or lose it”. If I don’t hire, I’m going into Q1 with a smaller team, a bigger target for everyone on it, and a very awkward conversation about whether I needed that role in the first place.
So I’m motivated, VERY motivated. I want someone signed before everyone logs off for the Christmas break, which means the process moves INCREDIBLY fast. I’m moving interviews around in my calendar, pushing the panel for same-day feedback and chasing HR to get the offer out the door.
That speed is real. One of my clients recently landed a new role at Workday after 4 interviews in 2 weeks. That’s from first conversation to offer in the time most women spend deciding whether to update their CV.
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What this means for you
While half your network says they’ll “start looking in January,” hiring managers are sitting on open roles they need to fill in the next 6 weeks. They need you as much as you need them right now, and that’s a really good position to be in.
The women who make the most of this window have done the groundwork. They know exactly which role they’re going for. Their CV and LinkedIn tell the same story. And they can talk through their biggest wins in a way that makes a hiring manager think “we need her on this team.” When a process moves this fast, there’s no time to figure that out between interviews.
Your learning budget expires too
Most Tech companies give you an L&D or learning budget every year, and guess what? It works exactly like headcount. If you haven’t used it by 31 December, it’s gone. Coaching often counts as professional development, so it’s worth sending a quick message to your manager or HR this week to check what’s left in yours.
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I’m taking on 5 new 1:1 clients for the rest of this year. If you want to use these weeks to land your next role (and put that learning budget to work while you’re at it), let’s talk. No strings attached!
Talk soon,
Jen 💜