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Holiday Job Searching Tips
by Nathan Newberger
The holiday season is just around the corner. To many people, that
means bells ringing, carolers singing and job openings waning.
However, the holiday season offers some rare career opportunities
that are not available the rest of the year. The real problem is that
many job seekers cannot identify these opportunities.
This http://www.WorkTree.com article by Nathan Newberger explains the need-to-know-facts
of performing a job search during the holidays. With a keen eye,
you can take advantage of the opportunities that every one else
misses by paying attention to the following:
1. Networking at holiday parties
2. Sending holiday cards with a purpose
3. Working around vacation schedules
4. Beating the holiday blues
1. Networking At Holiday Parties
The holidays bring more than a seemingly eternal string of parties.
With these social outings come a string of fantastic networking
opportunities. You can meet a wide array of people in many diverse
fields.
Even if you don't feel like attending a party, the opportunity is too
great to pass up. To get the most out of the occasion, keep these
points in mind:
- BE CONSERVATIVE. You are trying to impress potential employers and
colleagues. The party may not be an interview, but some restraint
must be exercised. Avoid revealing or questionable clothing and
limit your alcohol consumption.
- BE CASUAL. Being overly aggressive about getting employment
information will turn people away. You may be at the party to find
a job, but everyone else came to unwind. As you meet new people,
the topic of employment will eventually come up, and you can
casually mention your job search.
- BE PREPARED. As a job hunter, you should always have business
cards with you. Anyone you might talk to about work will meet a
plethora of people over the course of the night. Giving them a
business card gives them a reminder of who you are.
2. Sending Holiday Cards With A Purpose
It may seem a bit cheesy, but holiday cards are a fantastic and easy
way to get the attention of an employer or recruiter. There is a good
chance you will be sending cards to friends and family already, so
there is not very much extra work to do.
While the process is not complicated, it involves a little more
effort than shoving a card into an envelope, there are a few things
to keep in mind:
- Avoid holiday specific cards. As a matter of professionally
courtesy and respect for religious diversity, use generic cards
with messages like "Happy Holidays", "Season's Greetings"
or "Happy New Year".
- Use a simple message inside your card, such as "Looking forward to
seeing you in the New Year", "Happy to see you this holiday
season" or "Best Wishes".
- Do not send cards to people you have not corresponded with. The
real advantage of sending a holiday card is that it serves as an
unimposing reminder to people with whom you have interviewed or
discussed work. A stranger will toss the card in the trash.
3. Working Around Vacation Schedules
The biggest obstacle that a job hunter will face during the holiday
season is timing. People go on vacations, schedules become tight, and
open time slots vanish. This does not mean that people have stopped
hiring.
To have any success, you will have to fight the hands of time. This
means leaving yourself available and flexible.
Consider these
points:
- The early bird catches the worm. If you contact a recruiter
earlier in the holiday season, they will have more available time
periods in their schedule.
- Since the holiday schedule is so chaotic, recruiters have time
slots appear and disappear all the time. You never know when a
recruiter may unexpectedly be available so be prepared for a call
at anytime.
- Hold back on a vacation. If other job seekers are not available
during the holidays and you are, you stand a much better shot at
landing a job.
4. Beating The Holiday Blues
Regardless of financial position, people often get depressed and/or
lonely during the holiday season. Being in between jobs cannot help
the situation. In such a time, it is very easy to lose site of goals
or suffer more serious psychological problems.
Tips on how to search for a job during the holidays are probably not
going help you fight off clinical depression, but they can help you
to kick those holiday blues out the door.
Try to remember:
- Create a holiday schedule. Schedules allow you to allocate time
for constructive job hunting activities and set aside time for
relaxation or holiday celebrations. This way you can be productive
and enjoy yourself.
- 'Tis the season to give. During the holiday season, a tremendous
number of volunteer opportunities appear. Helping others can give
you a sense of pride and even put a smile on your face.
Furthermore, volunteering gives you more experience to put on your
resume and opportunities to network with other people. At the very
least, you will be contributing to your community
Conclusion
Many people fall into the illusion that career opportunities do not
exist during the winter holidays, but this simply is not true. Some
recruiters have even admitted that December is their busiest time of
the year. This does not mean you are guaranteed to land a job, but it
also does not mean that you should take a break from your search.
With these tips and a bit of luck, you may just get the one thing you
want the most this holiday season.
This article can be read online and shared with others directly at:
http://www.worktree.com/newsletter/holiday-job-searching-tips.html
Sincerely,
Nathan Newberger,
Managing Editor
http://www.WorkTree.com
"Helping You Find More Jobs Faster"
WorkTree Success Story
"I heard about your site thru a career networking group and thought I
would give it a try. I was surprised to find out how many jobsites I
didn't know about until I signed up with you guys. I'm an engineer
and this site has been the most useful tool in my search." ....Nick S.,
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About The Author
Nathan Newberger is the job and career expert at http://www.WorkTree.com Nathan has over 10 years
experience in staffing and human resources. He has worked both as a recruiter and career counselor.
Mr. Newberger has been the Managing Editor at http://www.WorkTree.com for the past 5 years and his
articles have helped thousands of job seekers.
Re-Print Guidelines
Permission is granted to reproduce any of these articles but the article content CANNOT be altered and credit must be
given to the author and also an active link to http://www.WorkTree.com.
As a courtesy, please email Nathan at support@worktree.com if you decide to use any of his articles.
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