Executive Job Search Over Christmas and Summer: Stop or Push On?
Every year, as December approaches, executives in the middle of a job search face the same question. Should I keep going, or pause until the new year? In Australia and New Zealand, the question is sharper than in many countries, because Christmas falls at the start of the long summer break. Many organisations slow down from mid-December until late January, and some almost stop.
The common advice is to take a break and start again in February. For some people, that is the right call. For many executives, it is a mistake. The summer period can be one of the most useful times in a senior search, if you use it well.
What actually happens over summer
Here is the general pattern I saw many times from the recruiter side.
Early December. Organisations and search firms try to finish processes before the break. Final interviews and offers are squeezed into the first few weeks. Some processes that are not close to a decision are deliberately paused until the new year.
Mid-December to early January. Many decision-makers, board members and search consultants take leave. Activity slows sharply. Some processes continue, but more slowly.
Mid to late January. People return and begin planning. Search firms receive new briefs, and delayed processes restart.
February and March. Activity usually picks up significantly. Our piece on executive hiring seasons in Australia and New Zealand covers the full year.
So it is true that fewer decisions are made over summer. But it is not true that nothing happens.
Why pausing completely is often a mistake
You lose momentum. Restarting a search in February takes time. You may spend the busiest weeks of the year getting ready rather than being ready.
Others pause too. Fewer candidates are active over summer, so the ones who are active stand out.
People have more time. Many senior people are more relaxed and have more time for a coffee or phone call in January than in October.
Plans are being made. In January, leaders are thinking about the year ahead, including what roles they need. A well-timed conversation can put you in their mind before a brief exists.
Processes still run. Some searches continue over summer, particularly urgent ones.
When pausing is the right call
There are also good reasons to take a proper break.
You are exhausted. If you have been through a redundancy, a long search or a demanding role, rest may be the best thing you can do for your next interview.
Family and personal time matter. Summer is often the only extended time many executives have with family.
You are not ready. If your documents and positioning need work, summer may be better spent preparing than applying.
The answer does not have to be all or nothing. Many executives take a proper break over the Christmas week and use the rest of the summer for lighter, useful activity.
What to do over summer
The best summer activity is preparation and relationship-building rather than applications.
Get your documents ready. Review and update your resume, LinkedIn profile and board biography if you have one. Our guide to a career audit before applying covers how to take stock.
Refine your target list. Decide which organisations, sectors and roles you want to focus on in the first quarter.
Reconnect with your network. A short, warm message over the holidays, without asking for anything, can reopen conversations. Our piece on networking for senior finance professionals has more ideas.
Plan your search consultant conversations. Identify the consultants you want to speak with, and plan to contact them in the second half of January.
Keep your LinkedIn visible. Light activity, such as updating your profile or commenting on posts, keeps you in view. Our piece on LinkedIn visibility while employed covers how to do this discreetly.
Learn and prepare. Read about your target industries, prepare interview stories and think about the questions you will be asked.
Using the quiet weeks to prepare for interviews
Interview preparation is one of the best uses of summer, because it is hard to do well when you are busy.
Build your stories. Write out five or six examples that show your biggest results, how you lead and how you handle difficulty. Keep each one short enough to tell in about two minutes.
Practise the openers. Most executive interviews start with some version of “tell me about yourself” or “why this role”. Draft your answers and say them out loud until they sound natural. Our guide to answering “tell me about yourself” at executive level covers how to structure it.
Prepare for the hard question. Think about the question you least want to be asked, whether about a redundancy, a short tenure or a gap. Prepare a calm, truthful answer and practise it.
Rehearse with someone. A trusted colleague or coach can tell you where you ramble and where you undersell yourself.
When February arrives, you will walk into interviews already warmed up, while others are still finding their feet.
If you are in a process in December
If you are already in a process, keep it moving. Ask the recruiter or hiring manager about the expected timeline before the break. If a decision is likely to be delayed, ask when it is expected to resume.
Stay responsive. Check your email and phone occasionally over the break, especially if you are at the final stages. A slow reply to an offer or reference request can cost you.
If a process pauses over summer, it is usually the calendar, not a sign of rejection. Our guide to executive interview follow-up covers how to stay in touch without pressing.
If you are negotiating an offer
Offers made in December often involve start dates in late January or February. Think about notice periods, bonus timing and leave. Be clear about what you need, and plan the negotiation before everyone goes on leave. Our piece on executive offer negotiation covers the key points.
If you are between roles
Summer can feel harder if you are between roles, especially after a redundancy. It is easy to feel that the world has stopped while you are waiting.
Use the time deliberately. Rest, prepare and reconnect. Set a clear plan for late January. Remember that the gap on your resume will be judged by what you did with it, not just by its length. Our guide to redundancy at senior level covers how to reset.
New Zealand and Australia differences
The summer pattern is similar in both countries, but New Zealand businesses often close for longer over the holidays, and the country can feel very quiet until after Waitangi Day in early February. Australian activity often picks up slightly earlier, particularly in larger cities.
If you are searching across both markets, allow for this in your planning. Our piece on moving between the Australian and New Zealand executive markets covers other differences.
A simple summer plan
Here is a simple plan many executives find useful.
Early December: push active processes forward, confirm timelines and send any final follow-ups.
Christmas week: take a real break.
Early January: update your documents, refine your targets and send warm messages to your network.
Mid to late January: contact search consultants and book coffees for February.
February: be fully active, with your documents ready and conversations under way.
Questions to ask yourself before the break
Which processes am I in, and what is the expected next step in each?
Who do I need to hear from before Christmas, and have I asked them?
What do my resume and LinkedIn profile need before February?
Which people would I most like to reconnect with over summer?
Which search consultants do I want to speak with in late January?
How much real rest do I need, and when will I take it?
Writing your answers down turns a vague summer into a clear plan.
Common mistakes
Stopping everything until February. You lose the chance to prepare and start early.
Applying for everything in January. Quality matters more than volume. Use the time to focus.
Going silent in an active process. Stay reachable.
Sending “Happy New Year, I am looking for a role” messages. Warm contact works better than a request.
What to send instead
A short message over summer can reopen a conversation, but only if it gives the other person something. Here is an illustrative before and after.
Before: “Happy New Year! I am currently exploring my next role and would love to hear of any opportunities you come across.”
After: “Happy New Year, Sarah. I saw your post about the move into Queensland and thought of our conversation about regional growth last year. I would be glad to hear how it is going once you are back. Coffee in February?”
The first version asks for help and hands the reader a task. The second shows interest in them, recalls a shared conversation and suggests a small next step. It is far more likely to get a reply, and far more likely to lead somewhere.
A few simple guidelines help.
Keep it to three or four sentences
Make it about them, not about your search
Refer to something specific you know about their work
Suggest a time after they are back, not during their break
Push on, but differently
The summer break is not a time to push hard for decisions. It is a time to prepare, reconnect and position yourself so that when activity picks up in late January, you are ready. The executives who use summer well are often the ones who move first in the new year.
If you want help planning your search for the new year, see how I support executive career transitions.
If you are in an executive search and want a plan for summer, book a complimentary Clarity Session and we will look at what to focus on now and what to prepare for February.
