Autumn

I know, I know.  It has been a month since I last blogged and you have missed my incisive, witty, intelligent and informative posts.  You don't have to say it out loud, let's just leave it unsaid!  As today is my birthday I thought it was time to share some more random words with the world this time about autumn.

The month of my birth is in many ways as unremarkable as a senior member of the Cabinet taking his best friend everywhere with him (apparently David Cameron can't sack Liam Fox because, and I'm not making this up, he has a cat).  Talking of politics, I bumped into a friend of mine earlier who told me his wife had just phoned to say she's just gone into labour.  He told her it was bloody ridiculous to start a career in politics when they are expecting a baby.  

I digress.  Here in England the weather on this day is usually quite dull and dreary (please don’t even think of making the connection here) however, it is notable as it is one of the most popular times to change jobs in our sectors.

It is hard to give a concrete answer why the autumn is such a popular time to make a move, but looking back through my records from 2003 the shape of the graph is remarkably similar each year.  Immediately after Christmas recruiting levels are very low and this doesn’t really change until March. We then see a steady increase in recruitment through to September and this activity accelerates until late November before declining to a standstill by mid-December.  

According to one of my first bosses, the reason for the autumn peak was that people resigned after reflecting on life during the annual summer holiday.  Mind you, the same boss who shared this wisdom with me placed a £500 bet on England to win Euro 2008 the day Steve McLaren was appointed England Manager!  OK, so I think we can conclude my old boss is not exactly Nostradamus for the 21st Century but there is probably some truth in his thoughts.  I think it is also because appointments need to be pushed through before the party season begins in mid-December.

This autumn has been especially busy, particularly on the ED side where demand far exceeds supply at this time which means that some very attractive salaries are currently on offer to help persuade professionals to make a move.  If you are pondering new opportunities this is as good a time as any to make that call to your favourite recruiter!  

As it is my birthday I am feeling a little self-indulgent so will leave you with one of my favourite songs of all time by the incredible Nick Drake. Enjoy!