The holiday season can be a whirlwind period of activity involving family, shipping, cooking/baking, etc. If you have a job, you also have to find the ability to focus on your work, which can especially be difficult if you are in a position or industry that gets busier this time of year. For many, this unfortunately means placing his/her job search on hold until January, when life becomes a little less busy.
This delay in the job search process, however, can have a significant negative impact on finding a new job. The most obvious effect is that some companies continue to interview and hire during the month of December. Not only are you missing out on those opportunities, but your chances of being hired are generally better because of the people (as noted above) that have opted out of job searching during the holidays. Landing a job in December can be very beneficial because you are starting at a time when new goals and objectives are fresh (as well as budgets) giving you a chance to start the year strong.
The perhaps less obvious reason to continue your job search during the holidays is because it is a great time to lay the groundwork for the start of the new year. So, what should you be doing (other than checking WNYJOBS.com regularly for new job postings) during the holiday season to help your search?
• Review Documents: Now is a great time to review your Cover Letter template and Resume. Did anything occur during this year that has created a need for you to add or delete any information from your Resume? This may be the perfect time for you to eliminate the outdated “Objective Statement” in favor of a “Qualifications Summary” on your Resume.
• Update Your Files: Everyone has a different way for keeping his/her job search administratively organized, but this is a good time for you to review your records. Create new folders for next year and determine if you have any open action items from previous applications, such as follow-up calls.
• Network: The holiday season is a fertile time to network personally, professionally, and for your job search. There are many ways for you to network using the Holiday Season as the theme or the reason for you reaching out. Among the different options for you to consider in December are:
– Holiday Events: There are so many holiday themed events this time of year, with there being activities in most industries and professions. You don’t even have to be that formal. If you find yourself at a friend’s party, “work the room” and determine if anyone could benefit your job search. A key is to not spend all your time with people you know (they should already be helping you with your job search), but rather with other people who may assist you with career advice or a job lead.
– Reach Out with Social Media: A good way to get a large quantity of messages out, especially with those you have only a secondary relationship with, is via social media (or sending an e-mail). Reach out with warm holiday wishes and, if the situation seems right, work into the message your job search and that you would appreciate any leads, etc.
– Go Old School and Send Out Cards: This method takes more time and does have a cost (have you seen the price of stamps!), but it is a great way to make a very impactful personal message. You can buy the cards in a bulk box (but make sure it looks nice and has a “Happy Holidays” message to cover all religions) to make things a bit more economical. Spend the time writing a handwritten message containing much of what you would place in the e-mail/social media message.
The holiday season is a busy time of year that leaves many thinking that they can’t possibly find the time for a job search. As difficult as it may be due to time constraints, the continuation of your job search is critical during December. Not only are there open positions being posted all the time, but networking during the holidays can prove very fruitful. The preparation time spent in December can place yourself in a terrific position for January of next year.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
