Man, I needed a change. I mean, really needed one. I was stuck in this job, slogging through the same spreadsheets every day. I hit five years back in June and suddenly the realization smacked me: if I didn’t move now, I was going to be staring at the same beige cubicle wall until retirement. That thought absolutely drove me nuts.
I started the whole job search process back in July, trying to be strategic. Everyone, and I mean everyone—recruiters, HR friends, even my uncle who owns a pizza place—told me the same thing: Summer is dead. August is pointless. Hiring managers are on vacation. Wait until September or October when budgets reset. So I sat there stewing, trying to decide if I should follow the conventional wisdom or just blast my resume out and see what stuck.
This is where the practice started. I decided I wasn’t just going to wait. I decided I was going to test the theory. And because I needed some sort of cosmic permission slip to ignore the experts, I threw in a completely ridiculous variable: the horoscope. Specifically, the Virgo forecast for August 2023, since my birthday is early September and I’ve always been told those transition weeks matter.
The Messy Start: Collecting the Data
My first step in the practice was purely practical, ignoring the stars for a minute. I pulled out a big Excel sheet, labeled it ‘August Job Move Tracker,’ and divided it into three sections: ‘Conventional Wisdom,’ ‘Observed Data,’ and ‘Cosmic Input.’
I immediately got to work logging two crucial data points every day for two weeks, starting late July and rolling into the first week of August:
- The number of truly new, relevant job postings in my sector (tech project management).
- The observed hiring activity on LinkedIn (who was posting about interviews, who was posting about getting hired).
What I observed quickly contradicted what I was told. People weren’t just sitting around. Mid-size companies were clearly trying to get people onboarded before Q3 closed out. The posting volume wasn’t huge, but the urgency in the descriptions was intense. Lots of “Immediate start required” language.
I tracked down three different mainstream career horoscopes for the Virgo career outlook in August 2023. I printed them all out, and I’ll admit, it felt stupid. But I read every line, highlighting key phrases. Phrases like: “A period of necessary reorganization,” “Do not fear major structural changes,” and “Financial partnerships are favored this month.” It was all totally vague, obviously, but I needed to find a narrative in it.
Putting the Data to the Test: My Action Phase
I didn’t just track; I acted immediately based on the combined information. The hard data told me that while the volume was lower, the quality of the postings was higher. Fewer tire-kickers, more serious openings that needed filling right away because someone quit unexpectedly or a project got funded late.
I revamped my resume in the first week of August, focusing on three key companies that had just posted roles I really wanted. The Virgo forecast, in its annoying vagueness, kept repeating the idea of “structural change” and “intense focus.” I took that to mean: don’t scattershot applications; be laser-focused.
So, instead of applying to 50 jobs, I zeroed in on those three. For each one, I didn’t just submit the standard application. I researched the specific hiring manager, crafted a custom cover letter explaining exactly how I’d solve one problem I saw in their recent news, and then I sent a follow-up email to two current employees at each place asking for an informational chat.
I cranked out all three applications within 48 hours. I waited anxiously. The conventional wisdom said I’d hear nothing back until September 5th.
The Realization and the Outcome
Guess what? The cosmos and the messy reality lined up surprisingly well.
The first company called me back within three days for a screening interview. The second company sent an automated rejection almost instantly (proving my laser focus was right to avoid them). The third company, a huge one, scheduled the first-round interview for the following week, mid-August.
I went through the interview process during the absolute dead period everyone warned me about. The offices were quiet, sure, but the hiring teams were present and moving fast. They weren’t bogged down by other applications. There was no internal bureaucracy slowing things because half the senior staff was out; those who were left were making quick decisions.
I finalized the interviews by August 25th. I received the offer two days later. The Virgo forecast talked about “financial partnerships being favored.” I don’t know about favored, but the salary they offered me was 15% higher than I expected, proving that they were serious about filling that structural need quickly.
What did I learn from this practice?
- Conventional Wisdom is often Laziness: Everyone waits until September, which makes the market insanely crowded. Moving in August, when everyone else is sleeping, gives you cleaner air.
- Low Volume Means High Urgency: If companies are posting serious roles in the summer, they need someone now. Use that urgency to your advantage in negotiations.
- Astrology is Vague, but Useful for Tone: The horoscope didn’t predict my job, obviously. But the language about “intense focus” and “structural change” helped me frame my strategy. It gave me permission to be ruthless with my time and avoid unnecessary applications.
So, is August the best time for a job move? For me, it absolutely was, because I ignored the noise, dug into the actual data, and used a silly horoscope to make sure my focus was sharp. Don’t wait for the perfect cosmic alignment; just start applying when everyone else thinks the world is paused for vacation.
