True or False: Now that busy season is over and the weather is heating up, it’s time to kick back and relax.

Well, if you are contemplating making some sort of career change this fall, and believe this statement is true, you may want to reevaluate your job search strategy.  Why?  According to Gary Grossman, President of The Execu|Search Group’s Recruitment division, summer is one of the best times to look for a new accounting job.

“There’s a common misconception amongst accounting professionals that summer is not a good time to look for a job, however, this simply isn’t true,” explains Gary.  “Accounting opportunities move quickly irrespective of where we are in the calendar, so candidates who start taking their search seriously during the summer months can actually create a powerful competitive advantage over the accountants who take a more casual attitude.

In fact, it is because the busy season is over that the summer is often the best season for accounting firms to focus on their onboarding process.  As Gary notes, “Since accounting firms have more time to devote to building and training their staff, our accounting & finance recruiting specialists typically experience an uptick in job orders from clients during the summer months.”  Hiring new staff throughout the summer is also ideal for accounting firms because this is typically the time when firms are gearing up for the 4^th quarter; meaning new hires will have the opportunity to work on the monthly close, rather than a more complicated and all-encompassing year-end close.  For accountants, this is also a benefit of starting a new job in the summer, as opposed to other months when firms may be at their busiest.  Before getting thrown into something more comprehensive during tax season, you’ll have the opportunity to ease into your responsibilities, get accustomed to the company culture, and focus on learning any new technologies or techniques unique to the firm.

Another factor to take into consideration is that as summer winds down, accountants who believe the myth that hiring is not a priority for firms during the summer will begin to pick up their searches again, en masse.  At that point, it will be much more difficult to distinguish yourself from other professionals with similar backgrounds and experiences.  On the other hand, if you deviate from this trend and start interviewing while others haven’t even begun to think about their search, you will have an easier time landing interviews, standing out against the competition, and ultimately receiving that coveted job.

If you’re in the market for a new job, don’t get lured into a false sense of security that major hiring decisions won’t be made until September.  While other job seekers might be taking it easy over the summer, ramp up your search and leave your competition at the beach!