Career Advice: How to Handle a Delayed Start Date

A cooling job market presents challenges yet opportunities for growth and networking

August 23, 2023

Job hunters—including recent college graduates—are facing an emerging trend in a cooling job market following a post-pandemic hiring frenzy: delayed start dates.

“After successfully landing an offer for employment, job seekers can find it stressful if there’s a delay in that much anticipated start date, which can be a few weeks or stretch into early next year,” says Michael Kalish, senior associate director for recruiting and internships at Baruch College’s Starr Career Development Center, which advises thousands of college students and recent graduates a year.

According to Kalish, it is important for job seekers to sustain momentum if an employer presses a pause button on a candidate’s onboarding date.

If you’re on hold, Kalish would share these six recommendations while waiting to start a new position:

1. Update your LinkedIn account frequently by adding content, requesting “coffee chats” to network, and join groups on the website that align with your interests
2. Upskill by taking a certification course or joining webinars
3. Participate in a professional association to keep abreast of the latest news in your field and expand your circle
4. Network with alumni, especially if they work in the company that offered you a job
5. Stay active: that may include continuing a job search
6. Volunteer with a nonprofit that aligns with your passions

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