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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarah Goose, a 37-year-old career coach and founder of Goose Gets It, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In Q4, people fear that hiring slows down — but that’s not always the case. Sure, there are some industries that are less eager to hire than others, but from my experience, there are spaces where hiring can actually take off.
Before starting my own career coaching business in 2023, I worked at Google for nine years. While there, I wrote interview questions, built scorecards to evaluate candidates, trained interviewers, and helped decide who got hired.
After learning how companies hire, I started my own career coaching business, Goose Gets It, where I help demystify the hiring process and help people navigate this very challenging job market.
Getting hired at a smaller startup company at the end of the year is tough because the business needs to show profitability to its investors. For bigger companies focused on growth, it’s often the shortest time to hire, and there’s real pressure on managers to fill roles before budgets or head count get stripped away.
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But, how do you become one of those end-of-the-year hires? How do you stand out in the last quarter of the year? I advise job seekers to do four things.
1. Get clear on your role and positioning
The first thing you need to do is be really clear on the types of roles you’re applying for.
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Ask yourself: What is your seniority level? What’s your niche? What’s your specialty? It’s not just about the type of job you want, what you think the market needs, or what you’re good at; it’s the intersection of those three things, and you need to be really clear on that.
2. Niche down and target strategically
When it comes to getting hired, the spray-and-pray method — throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks — isn’t likely to work. It’s having fewer applications and being really strategic and selective in your applications that gets people hired.
People often think, Oh, OK, if I apply to more roles, then I’m going to get more interviews. And if I make myself open to everything, then I’ll be more appealing. But here’s the thing: if you try to appeal to everyone, then you end up appealing to no one. It may sound counterintuitive, but you have to niche down.
From there, have a list of target companies you’d like to work for. Then set up job alerts for these companies so that you know of those roles quickly and can apply early.
3. Reach out to where you were previously considered
One big thing I advise job seekers to do is keep an eye on roles and companies they were considered for earlier in the year. These are jobs they interviewed for and didn’t get — they were a near miss. The end of the year is a perfect time to re-engage.
To do this, first, check the company’s career page for new openings. Then, reach back out to the recruiter you spoke with initially and say something like: “I’m not sure if this role is in your purview, but I would love to be considered. We last spoke when I interviewed for [X role] in [season], and since then, my skills have evolved. If you’re not the right recruiter, I’d appreciate it if you could connect me with the right team.”
Even if they’re not the recruiter, they can then put you in touch with someone who is, and because the company already has data points on you, you’re a faster hire.
Candidates are often afraid to do this, thinking, “They rejected me, so I shouldn’t go back.” But that’s not the case. A no is not a no forever, just a no for right now.
Often, reaching back out is like a little gift in the recruiter’s inbox. Don’t just reapply — be proactive, go directly to their inbox, and show them why you’re an even better fit this time.
4. Be available
One mistake I see so many job seekers make is that they aren’t available. When they start to get callbacks, they think, Oh gosh, I don’t want to mess this up. I want to be sure I’m right. I want to talk with my network, etc.
You don’t have time for that. The candidate pool is so steep and response rates are so high that if you wait a week and a half or two weeks to talk with a recruiter, you’ve already missed your spot. Other people will be further in the process.
When you get that bite, follow up immediately. Make yourself available, even if you think you’re not ready. If they ask, “Do you have time to talk this week?” Say, “I’m available. What time tomorrow works?” or, “I’m happy to hop on a call today.”
The job market is bad, but companies are still hiring
In the current market, layoffs and downsizing are happening — but in the same breath, companies are still hiring for specialized, high-priority roles.
Now is the time to claim your niche and own it. Generalists are struggling, but specialists are in demand. I’m telling my clients to brace for a selective market, but not a dead one.
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