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Now Could be the Best Time to Launch a Supply Chain Job Search

By Published On: December 6, 2012

Are you thinking about making a career move in 2013? I have been noticing a big spike lately with candidates reaching out to inquire about supply chain job opportunities, inviting me to connect on LinkedIn and other social media sites, seeking assistance with optimizing their resumes, etc. Likewise, many of my clients have stated that they’re planning to add to their payrolls in 2013. From my vantage point, right now could be the best time to kick off your supply chain job search. Why?
For starters, we are finally past this brutal, mind-numbing election season. Companies tend to pause or slow down hiring in the year of a major election and resume hiring once elections are over. Reason being, employers want to know what potential changes could be made to the tax code, regulations, etc. that may impact their businesses before they’ll allocate money towards human capital. Granted, the so-called “Fiscal Cliff” is looming but hopefully our elected politicians will find their big boy britches soon and move us down the right path without causing any economic harm (fingers crossed!).
Secondly, most companies are either in budget and headcount planning mode now or they’ve wrapped up this effort recently. Once budgets are approved, employers tend to get a jump start on hiring as they typically have approval to start new hires in the beginning of the fiscal year. When I worked in corporate supply chain recruiting for Coke, Home Depot, Kimberly-Clark and other corporations, it wasn’t unusual to be extremely busy in November and December through the first quarter (January – March).
Thirdly, supply chain executives and hiring managers in general are typically easier to connect with over the holiday season. Since many will take off from work over the last week or two of the year, they’ll have a lot of down time to socialize, catch up with social media, etc. This is why you should immediately put more time into connecting with potential decision makers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Kinaxis (Supply Chain Expert Community), etc. Each time you connect with someone new, send them a brief thank you email for accepting your invite, reference that you’re kicking off a job search campaign, and ask if they are aware of any potential opportunities that might be opening up in early 2013.
Last but not least, while the economy isn’t growing nearly as fast as we would like, there are several positive signs indicating that things are trending in the proper direction. The DOW hit a 5-year high back in October, corporate profits hit a record high in the 3rd quarter, the unemployment rate just hit a 4-year low, and the housing market is showing positive signs of improvement.
With all of these positive factors in play, something has to give at some point. If you are considering launching a new supply chain job search campaign, my advice to you is to start planning right now as it’s best to take a proactive stance especially in today’s highly competitive job market. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm!
To your success!
Rodney