Ahhh the holiday season. It’s the time when people seem more focused on shopping for gifts, making travel arrangements, and meal-planning for the upcoming festivities than they are on actual work.
But if you think now’s the time to take a vacation from your job search, you might want to reconsider.
Here are 4 things to keep in mind as you look for a job during the holiday season:
#1 – Hiring Tends to Slow Down Over All
It isn’t your imagination — hiring activity definitely downshifts a bit between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. You may notice fewer job postings and a slowdown in communications from recruiters and hiring managers.
Generally speaking, people are trying to wrap things up before they take their holiday vacation. Couple that with office holiday parties, Secret Santa gift exchanges, and an excess of Christmas cookies and other goodies in the breakroom, and everyone’s a little, well…distracted.
#2 – BUT…Many Companies are Still Hiring This Month
It’s true! Even with all the holiday mayhem, there are still plenty of companies bringing in candidates and aiming to make offers for an early January start date.
In fact, Glassdoor recently published this article: 21 Companies Hiring Like Crazy in December
So while other job seekers may be taking a break till the new year, you can beat out the competition by keeping your efforts strong through December.
#3 – Now is an Excellent Time to Update Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile
Whether or not you’re coming across the right job opportunities this month, December is a great time to improve your branding as a job seeker.
This means adding recent accomplishments and any new skills to your marketing documents. It might also mean removing old work experience that’s no longer relevant.
And don’t forget to add relevant keywords to both your resume and LinkedIn profile, based on the language you’re seeing across multiple job descriptions.
Also, take another look at your LinkedIn profile photo. Be honest with yourself…is it making the right first impression to potential employers?
Profile photos that do best are well-lit and framed from the shoulders up. Don’t forget to don work attire, look directly at the camera, and smile!
#4 – Holiday Social Gatherings Can Benefit Your Job Search
Yes, it’s the end of the year. Yes, you just want to let loose, drink too much eggnog, and join in on a group sing along of “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.”
But if you play your cards right, these holiday parties can provide an excellent opportunity to network with people who might be able to help you land your next job.
Having a clear sense of the exact roles you’re targeting and the companies you’re most interested in learning more about can help fellow party-goers introduce you to the right people.
And…it goes without saying that you shouldn’t be talking about your job search at your OWN office holiday party…just in case you were tempted to. 🙂
Summing It Up
So don’t feel like you need to wait till January to make headway on your job hunt. Keep pushing forward and you might attain your New Year’s resolution of a new job quicker than you think!
