FutureProof You Podcast — EP 18: “Seasons of Hiring”

One‑liner

When should a job seeker push hard versus play the long game? Aaron Makelky, John Lovig, and Dan Yu map the hiring year—late summer slowdown, Q4 surge, bonus-season churn, and spring steadiness—and give a practical playbook for each.

TL;DR Takeaways

• Late summer is slower (vacations, back‑to‑school), so expect longer response times—use the window to upgrade the profile, post consistently, and pre-seed networking for September.

• Signals that the market’s waking up: more job postings, noticeable LinkedIn activity, and companies hiring recruiters (hiring follows recruiters).

• Q4 moves fast: “use‑it‑or‑lose‑it” budgets, pockets of holiday slowdowns—win with “politeful pestering,” clear availability, and transparent timing across parallel processes.

• Year‑end to Q1: bonus visibility and payouts trigger candidate movement; January is quiet, then momentum builds—by March through May, hiring is steady and planned.

• Always be networking and creating social proof (content, recommendations); the work done today often pays off quarters later.

Chapter Guide

• 00:00 — Welcome + why “seasons of hiring” matter

• 01:07 — Late summer slowdown: vacations, back‑to‑school, two‑week decision drag

• 02:30 — What to do now: still apply to active roles, and always apply on the company site (ATS searchable)

• 04:05 — Signs of the turn: more postings, more LinkedIn activity, recruiter job counts as a health gauge

• 05:24 — Q4 dynamic: budgets, “use it or lose it,” and holiday slowdowns to plan around

• 07:08 — Content still works in “dead zones” (algorithms serve later); prep for the fall push

• 08:30 — Natural holiday networking + plotting the rest of the year

• 09:16 — Client win: from placeholder profile to offer in ~60 days through optimization + posting

• 12:00 — Social proof: help your network (and yourself) with better profiles and recommendations

• 17:20 — October tactics: “time kills all deals,” sequence outreach to newly hired recruiters

• 19:19 — “Politeful pestering,” follow‑ups, and being mindful of varied holiday calendars

• 20:32 — Share real timing across processes to create urgency (without games)

• 22:00 — “Sell to the no”: fast no beats a slow maybe

• 23:03 — Bonus season timing: when movement spikes and how to plan

• 24:33 — Q1/Q2 cadence: January quiet → March–May steady, with quarterly headcount plans

• 27:03 — The long game: groundwork in Q3 pays off in Q4/Q1/Q2

• 28:00 — Parting mindset: network when you have a job as if you don’t

The Seasonal Playbook

Late Summer (now → early September)

• Expect slower scheduling; keep applying where signals are active (recent views, engaged recruiters).

• Always apply on the corporate site in addition to Easy Apply to get searchable in the ATS.

• Post consistently—algorithms will surface good content when the audience returns.

• Pre‑seed September: identify target teams, warm up intros, and reconnect with recruiters.

Fall/Q4 (late September → mid‑December)

• Budgets drive urgency; hiring velocity increases.

• Sequence outreach to newly hired recruiters: congrats note → light check‑in week 2/3 → request informational.

• “Politeful pestering”: short, specific follow‑ups with ready‑to‑book availability to reduce friction.

• Be transparent about timelines if in mid‑rounds elsewhere; it gives partners permission to accelerate.

• Plan around holiday gaps (e.g., Thanksgiving week and other cultural/faith calendars).

Year‑End/Bonus Season (late Dec → Q1)

• Understand bonus timing in the target industry; movement often starts at visibility, spikes post‑payout.

• If moving, get pipelines warmed ahead of payout so interviews land just‑in‑time.

Q1/Q2 (Jan → May)

• January is quiet but directional; executive and strategic hires form early.

• By March–May, hiring is steady and planned across quarterly headcount—network before roles post.

Social Proof & Profile Moves

• Upgrade from “placeholder” to discoverable: banner, headline, outcomes in experience, relevant skills, and consistent posting.

• Give and request recommendations to create undeniable social proof.

• “Conference commando” strategy: follow speakers, send thoughtful pre‑event DMs, and be top‑of‑mind offline.

Power Lines to Steal

• “Time kills all deals.”

• “Politeful pestering.”

• “Sell to the no.”

• “Use‑it‑or‑lose‑it budgets.”

• “The algorithm will serve good content when the audience returns.”

Hosts

Aaron Makelky - John Lovig - Dan Yu

Call to Action

• Want help tuning up a LinkedIn profile, building a simple content engine, or navigating interviews the way recruiters actually work? Find FutureProof You on LinkedIn and grab our 5‑step profile spring‑clean checklist.

• For coaching, workshops, and courses on career pivots and AI‑powered job search, connect with the FutureProof You team on our website: https://futureproof-you.com