Job Hunting During the Holidays

Are you thinking about taking a break from your job hunting during the holiday season? You may want to reconsider. It can actually be a fairly productive time of year to make some positive steps forward toward your goal of employment.

While some of the competition is slowing down their job search, you can implement an energized strategy to ramp up your game. Here are some ideas to keep you on the cutting edge of your job hunt.

Maintain your momentum
Stay focused on your goal of finding a job. Don’t think that business comes to a complete standstill in December; it doesn’t. In fact, Ariana Stelter, president of the DuPage Society of Human Resource Management recommends job seekers keep the momentum during the holidays. “If there are jobs that are vacant during the holiday season, it’s the perfect time since a job seeker is not competing with many more candidates.”

Create your checklist for the day
A tool for maintaining focus and momentum is your daily activity list. Remember that searching for a job is your job, but you’re not taking any time off in December. Adhere to a schedule that fills at least an 8-hour day. Itemize your list to include everything from Internet research, checking/sending emails, setting up coffee meets, to attending events.

Reach out and connect
The holidays provide a good backdrop for reaching out to people. Set up coffee meets with colleagues. Make new connections at events, parties, and social activities. Send a holiday email greeting to former co-workers and others in your job seeking circle. If you haven’t already done so, find a Meetup.com professional networking group to join. Many groups still meet in December.

Take the lead in volunteerism
When you volunteer, you’re helping others and yourself. The process offers new experiences and the chance to refine leadership and teambuilding skills. Volunteerism also opens another area for meeting new people and broadening your network.

Leverage your local library’s services
The library can be a key partner in your job hunting strategy. Kent Palmer, Business Librarian with the Naperville Public Library, reminds patrons that December is a great month to network and plan. “The library’s resources offer guidance and assistance searching out and creating lists of potential employers by industry and location, potential networking contacts, building resumes, and preparing for future interviews.” Palmer notes the library provides faxing, printing, and photocopying for a very small cost.

Raise your brand awareness on LinkedIn
According to a 2013 Society for Human Resource Management study, 77 percent of employers use social networks to find candidates for jobs. Over 94 percent of those employers used LinkedIn. December is a good time to re-evaluate and refine your personal brand. Reach out to your Business Librarian to review your resume and provide feedback on your LinkedIn profile. Has your LinkedIn Profile Strength reached “AllStar” status? Do you write Long Posts on LinkedIn? Do you share and/or comment on articles from Influencers in the news feed? Are you participating in Group discussions?

Job hunting during the holidays can be productive. By maintaining your job search momentum, you can feel empowered about your prospects for future employment.