Every year around this time, I start hearing the same thing from executives: ‘I’ll wait until September’… ‘Nothing really happens over the summer’… ‘Most recruiters are away anyway’
As a result, CV updates get postponed, networking activity slows and career plans are put on hold until the autumn. It sounds reasonable enough. The trouble is, it’s based on a misconception that can leave talented executives several months behind those who use the summer differently. Over the years, I’ve seen many executives delay career activity until September, only to discover that conversations they would have been well suited to had already started weeks earlier.
While recruitment activity can become slower during July and August, the idea that the market shuts down is largely a myth. Many organisations continue hiring, succession planning continues, executive search firms continue mapping talent and leadership vacancies still need to be filled. The difference is that activity often becomes less visible and slightly slower moving rather than disappearing altogether.
The market is more competitive than many executives realise, and so preparation matters more than ever. According to the latest ONS labour market data, there are now 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy in the UK, while vacancies themselves have fallen to their lowest level since 2021. At the same time, LinkedIn’s 2026 Labour Market Report highlights a more cautious hiring environment across many developed economies. The implication for executives is that opportunities still exist, but competition for them has increased. In that environment, positioning, visibility and a compelling executive narrative matter more than ever.
What changes is often the pace of decision-making. Interview schedules may take longer to coordinate. Stakeholders may be away for part of the process. Hiring decisions may take several additional weeks. That’s not the same as hiring stopping altogether.
At executive level, hiring processes frequently take three to six months from first conversation to signed contract. A search launched in July may not conclude until October or November. A role discussed informally in August may become a formal opportunity later in the year. Executive search firms have always understood this dynamic. Even when formal recruitment activity appears quieter, succession planning, talent mapping and relationship-building continue in the background. In many organisations, the shortlist for a future leadership appointment begins taking shape long before a vacancy is publicly announced. Some of the most successful executive appointments I’ve supported began with an exploratory conversation long before a formal vacancy was advertised.
Many executives underestimate how early these conversations begin.
Summer creates an advantage that many candidates overlook. The executive who updates their profile, reconnects with recruiters, attends networking events and strengthens their personal brand during July and August may encounter significantly less competition for attention than they would a few months later. In practice, summer is often when executives have the space to step back, reflect and invest in activities that are difficult to prioritise during busier periods of the year.
Summer preparation has become even more important in an AI-enabled market where many executive CVs look increasingly the same. Reviewing executive CVs every week, I have noticed that many now follow remarkably similar structures and language patterns. Differentiation increasingly comes from the quality of evidence and the clarity of the leadership story rather than presentation alone. Employers focus on evidence of commercial impact, leadership capability and measurable outcomes. The strongest profiles make it immediately clear why an executive is relevant to the challenges an organisation faces today.
Perhaps the biggest misconception about executive career management is that it begins when a new role is needed. In reality, successful careers are built through continuous positioning. The most effective leaders actively manage their reputation, strengthen their network and maintain a market-ready profile. Summer provides a rare opportunity to focus on that work.
Rather than asking whether organisations are hiring in July and August, a better question is whether your profile is ready when the right opportunity emerges. Does your CV demonstrate commercial impact? Does your LinkedIn profile support the level at which you want to operate? Are the right people aware of what you are looking for next? Does your professional narrative reflect where you want to go, not just where you have been?
The executives who gain the greatest advantage are not necessarily working harder than everyone else. They are simply using the quieter months more strategically. While others wait for September, they are refining their positioning, strengthening key relationships and ensuring they are visible when opportunities emerge.
At Hanover Talent Solutions, we help executives use quieter market moments to prepare for what comes next, from refining CVs and LinkedIn profiles to strengthening positioning, visibility and search strategy.
That may be the real secret of executive job searching. The opportunities secured in the autumn are often won during the summer.
If you are considering your next move this autumn, summer is the time to get ready.
Executive Careers & Leadership Consultancy | Hanover Talent Solutions