Hot Jobs in the Fourth Quarter

Although Clutch is only three years old, we have continued to see the same trends every year, and the most visible trend is the fourth quarter. Every year when the fourth quarter rolls around, our clients will ask us to source for the same few roles. 

The reason the fourth quarter has become predictable is that most companies are in the same transitional phase. The end of the year is around the corner, so agencies are doing their best to meet their deadlines. In the fourth quarter, there is also a more clear look at where the agency is in their budget, and most of the time, they have more room to spend on talent. They are likely to hire freelance resources to help complete projects. 

The fourth-quarter hires are nearly always for the same roles because agencies need to kick it into second gear. Here are the top jobs to look out for in the fourth quarter. 

Project Manager

Project Managers are one of the most sought after, if not the sought after jobs during the fourth quarter. As agencies crackdown on end-of-the-year projects, they need project managers to maintain that process. 

It is common to see freelance and temp-to-hire project managers because agencies are quick to let people go at the beginning of the first quarter of the new year. Agencies are unsure of budgets during the first quarter. Especially during the pandemic, too much is up in the air for them to commit to a full-time hire. 

Pharma Copywriter

Close behind in second, Pharma Copywriters, and most Pharma roles, are common in the fourth quarter. Specifically, in the Philadelphia area, known to the top hospitals and medical/pharmaceutical companies, pharma needs are always a must, but always a need at the end of the year. 

Pharmaceutical companies need to drop their products by the end of the year to make it to market in time, so the advertising professionals need to get their hands dirty. Similar to project managers, pharma copywriters are necessary for the fourth quarter and will only hire in a contract setting. 

Paid Search Specialist

Similarly to project managers, the need for search specialists grows in the fourth quarter. This happens because companies realize the amount of budget they have leftover money to use for digital advertising. Since the age of the pandemic where everything turned digital, paid search has continued to grow in needs. 

Throughout the year, companies are hunting down paid search specialists. When companies have the extra money in their budget to spend, paid specialists are necessary to hire. 

Front End Developer

For those that need website launches or edits done to their website before the year is over, Front End Developers will be on deck for the fourth quarter. Especially during the holiday season, agencies and companies need to hire individuals to manage their website while other employees are on holiday. 

Front End Developers is an easy position to contract, but, many times, they get not-so-desirable hours to make up for other workers being absent.

Overall, if you are looking for a contract position in any of these fields, we recommend keeping your eyes peeled for the fourth quarter of this year and every year moving forward. We recommend you flow with the trends of the industry and look out for the fourth quarter positions.