A common belief (or myth) is that at a certain point in the year, engineering companies stop hiring. Sometimes they do, but in many cases, the opposite happens.
Here is the truth.
Teams have open roles they need to fill. Budgets must be used, as hiring managers don’t want to start the next quarter short-staffed.
Logically, this is a smart time for candidates to make a move, especially when they’re not switching industries but looking for something new within the field they already know.
It’s easy to tell yourself there’s not enough runway left in the year, and it is better to wait until January. In reality, waiting might mean missing the quietest moment in the hiring cycle, when fewer candidates are applying, but roles still need to be filled.
Right now, another shift is happening. More companies hire based on skills and outcomes rather than ticking boxes on a CV. That means experience matters, and not always in the way it used to. If you’ve been in engineering for a while and know you’re ready for a different challenge, there’s room to move before the year ends.
Here is where to start.
Assess Your Current Position & Define Your Target
You don’t have to do a full career reset to make a change. Sometimes it’s more about refining than reinventing. Think about your current role. What parts of your day do you enjoy most? Where do you feel your energy is being drained?
Consider your skills, not just what you have qualifications for, but what you do well.
Once you have a clear idea of your abilities and priorities, start narrowing down where you want to go. Look at a handful of job descriptions in your sector that catch your eye, even if they feel slightly out of reach. You’re not applying yet. You’re collecting patterns.
What do those roles seem to expect? What’s already familiar? What’s new, but learnable? You’re not trying to tick every box. You’re trying to see the shape of the move.
Remember that if money is the main reason for moving, first check if your salary is below market rate, and if all else is fine with your current employer, ask for a pay increase.
If that is unsuccessful, then move to stage two. Do some early research. Look at public salary ranges. Browse live listings. If you have a recruiter you trust, check in with them.
Make sure you have something to fall back on, too, a financial buffer you can rely on while you wait for the right role to come your way.
Leverage the Skills-Based Hiring Shift
One of the more useful changes in hiring right now is that job titles don’t carry as much weight as they used to. Employers are paying closer attention to what people can do, not just where they’ve worked or what their CV says on the first line.
Some reports suggest that around 81% of companies have shifted to skills-based hiring. That transition is an opportunity, if you know how to use it.
Suppose you’ve been working in your sector for a while. In that case, you’ve probably built up a mix of practical skills, problem-solving instincts, and lived experience that doesn’t always show up cleanly on a CV, in a more traditional hiring model, that might’ve worked against you. It’s more likely to count in your favour, especially if you know how to present it.
- Get clear on what transfers: A good place to start is with the last six to twelve months of your work. Think about a few projects or problems you’ve handled, and write down the core skills that made a difference. Communication, decision-making, and time management are broad and transferable skills.
- Show it where it counts: Once you know your core skills, the next step is weaving them into the places where service engineering recruiters and employers look. Start with your LinkedIn headline. Add a short phrase or two about what you’re good at, not just your job title. Something real. “Operations manager focused on clarity and follow-through.” “Product marketer with a bias for clear messaging.”
- Prepare for a new interview: Companies hiring for skills ask different interview questions. Behavioural/Behavioral questions “tell me about a time…” are common. Prepare for these with a few STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories that share real examples of your value.
Working With Service Engineering Recruiters
You don’t have to go through a job move alone. If you’ve never worked with a recruiter before, it’s easy to assume they only call when you’re not looking for work or only focus on senior roles. But if you find someone who knows your sector and gives them something clear to work with, they can help you find opportunities faster than you ever could.
Look for a focused service engineering recruiter that understands what you need. Find out if they have a strong track record in your industry, read online reviews and case studies, and ask questions.
Once you start communicating, be clear and honest about what you want, your timeline, and where you’re flexible. Build and maintain that relationship when you find a recruiter who works with you. Respond when they reach out (even if you’re not looking for work anymore), provide honest feedback, and keep them updated on any changes to your situation.
Apply Smart, Interview Strong
The hardest part of a job search isn’t usually the work. It’s the uncertainty. You send out an application and hear nothing. You get an interview and then wait weeks. Sometimes you make it to the final round and don’t get the offer.
That’s the cycle. For most people, it’s frustrating, even when it’s expected. The way to get through it is to focus on the parts you can control.
Start with your applications. You don’t need to rewrite your CV every time. Just pay attention to the role. Ask yourself: what’s this job actually about? If your experience overlaps, make sure that’s easy to spot. Use the same language where it fits. Cut anything that doesn’t speak to the work.
Cover letters don’t need to be long, though they do need to be relevant. Two short paragraphs. Why this role, why now, and what you bring that’s relevant.
When interviews come around, rehearse and remember that people want to know what working with you is like. Can you explain what you do? Can you talk through how you solve problems? Are you someone they’d trust to follow through?
Pick a few moments from your recent work, where you figured something out, or made something better. You don’t need a script. Just have them in your head. So, when someone asks, “Can you give me an example?” you already have one.
Your Year-End Job Search Timeline
A solid timeline is important, particularly if you want to switch roles by the end of the year. A good strategy is to plan out a 90-day sprint, focusing on tasks to do month by month.
Month 1: The Basics
Get your CV in good shape. Then, update your LinkedIn so it reflects what you actually do, not just your title.
Start looking into service engineering recruiters who can help you find opportunities you might miss. Ask them questions about their process. Request feedback from these experts on how to make yourself more appealing to employers.
Next, set up a few alerts. Use job boards you trust, whatever’s most active in your field. Keep the filters tight enough to be useful but not so narrow that you miss something close enough to consider.
Month 2: Active Applying
Apply to roles that feel like a real match. Close enough that you can write a genuine cover message or tailor your CV without forcing it. Even three or four focused applications a week is enough, as long as they’re targeted.
Month 3: Follow through
By the third month, a few things might be happening at once. Maybe you’ve had a couple of interviews. Perhaps you’re in final conversations. Maybe it’s quieter than you’d like.
That silence can be hard, especially if you’ve put time into it. But it’s common. Hiring managers get busy. Budgets stall. Teams pause decisions. None of that has much to do with you.
What helps is staying in motion. This could mean sending a short follow-up message after an interview, checking in with a recruiter, or reaching out to someone you spoke with earlier in the process.
Don’t Put Your Future On Hold
Most people wait until January to make a move. They tell themselves they’ll start fresh once things quiet down. The truth is, by the time they get going, the best service engineering roles are already filled, and the momentum is gone.
Now is a good time if you’re thinking about a change. The hiring market hasn’t stopped. Managers still have teams to build and roles to close. There’s less noise this time of year, which makes it easier to be seen.
You don’t need a perfect plan. Just a clear one. Something steady enough to keep you moving, even when the process feels slow. Making a move doesn’t require a new year. Just a decision.
All the best
Steve
At Coalesce we have been supporting engineering candidates for over 29 years; if you would like our support in moving to a new service engineering role before the end of this year, then give us a call on 07512 821708 or email us here.