The Benefits of Holiday Job Searching

Many job searchers are convinced that job searching during the holidays is a waste of time. If you buy into this myth, then you may be losing out on one of the better job searching seasons of the year. The benefits of holiday job searching include reduced competition for jobs and other advantages.

Reduced Competition

During the holiday season, you enjoy the reduced competition for jobs and easier access to decision-makers present in the office during this slower time. Since fall trade shows are over and holiday vacations have yet to kick in. You have the opportunity to help employers spend their budgets before year-end. Hiring managers with fresh goals for the new year are eager to find people who can help them jump on goal accomplishment. If nothing else, many organizations interview in December for positions beginning the first of the year.

If you’re ready to drop the seasonal holiday job searching blues, here are several tips that will help your holiday job search:

• Use holiday events with family, friends, and acquaintances as an opportunity to network casually.

You never know who will produce your next job lead. Attend as many events as you can reasonably fit into your calendar without being overly aggressive. With the proliferation of events during the holidays, you have lots of networking opportunities—and one of them may produce a job.

• Send holiday cards with your business card enclosed to hiring managers with whom you’ve recently interviewed.

Send a card to any managers with whom you’ve completed an informational interview as well. You can also send cards to well-connected friends who you’ve recently spoken to about your job search.

• Schedule time for activities in your job search exactly as you would schedule a day at work if you are unemployed.

Employed or unemployed, create a job searching schedule with at least one new item to accomplish every day. Don’t get lazy or depressed; keep your spirits up by taking positive action during the entire holiday season.

• Check the classifieds in your target job search markets from late November through December.

Those employers are still conducting their searches unless they happened upon a “perfect” candidate. Many seek employees who can help propel success in January.

• Continue to check the online job boards daily; more employers post jobs online than use the classifieds these days.

And, don’t forget to continue to check company websites. Job posting online never stops, and some companies advertise perpetually for certain positions.

• Check professional association websites for advertised positions.

Participate in the forum if the site hosts questions or conversations. Even during the holidays, some companies are hiring, if only to start the new year with a fully staffed department.

• Network online on professional sites such as LinkedIn or others that are specific to your profession.

Even more personal sites such as Facebook and Twitter offer networking and job posting opportunities.

• Take seasonal work during the holidays to tide your finances into the new year.

Temp agencies also see an increase in requests as companies struggle to complete annual goals and deal with the extra holiday season workload. Retail employment increases significantly during the holiday season, and employers hire early, even in October.

Implement these job search tips you’ve gathered throughout your hunt and work doubly hard to accomplish them during the holiday job searching season. You won’t be sorry.

Need additional help? Reach out to Candace for assistance!