Tag Archives: Holiday Job Search

Why the Holiday Season is a Great Time for Job Searching

christmas-tree-23384_1280

There are countless excuses you can make for suspending your job search through the month of December: You need a break. You want to enjoy the holidays. Nobody’s really hiring anyway. Most companies are worried about end-of-the-year financials and holiday parties. You can start your job search again in mid-January, once things are back to normal.

We’re here to tell you that, in spite of all the excuses, the holiday season is actually a great time to look for work. If you’re already searching, keep doing it—full speed ahead. And if you’ve been thinking about launching a new job search, there really is no time like the present.

Reasons to Job Search During the Holidays

Why do we think the holiday season is so ideal for job searching? Here’s our argument:

Your competitors are taking time off for the holidays. You might assume that hiring managers receive many fewer resumes and cover letters during the holiday season—and you’re not wrong. That’s all the more reason for you to step up and seize this opportunity to shine in a less-crowded field of applicants.

You’ll have a lot of opportunities to network over the holidays. Parties, open houses, charity events… this is a season that brings with it plenty of chances to meet and mingle, which can really be an asset to jobseekers.

You have a great excuse to reconnect with old contacts. The holidays give you a perfect reason to send quick emails or LinkedIn messages to former colleagues and classmates, and to let them know you’re thinking about them and wish them a happy holiday season. Of course, you can also let them know you’re in the market for work.

You may actually have an easier time reaching hiring managers. It’s not unusual for administrative assistants and mid-level managers to take holiday time, so if you call a potential employer, there’s a decent shot of you connecting more easily to the ultimate decider. This gives you a unique opportunity to form a connection!

You can position yourself for January turnover. The beginning of the year can bring a lot of departures—so even if you’re not hired before Christmas, you can at least have your name in the ring for a shot in January.

You can prove yourself to be serious. Job seeking over the holiday season is, as we’ve already established, a pretty bold move—and it’ll show hiring managers that you’re really committed.

Make Your Move

There’s no time like now to put your best foot forward—and one way to do so is to spruce up your resume. We’d love to give you the holiday-season resume overhaul you need. Contact our team at Grammar Chic to make it happen: 803-831-7444 or www.grammarchic.net.

2 Comments

Filed under Job Search

Why the Holidays are Ideal for Launching a Job Search

Tis-the-Season.jpeg

It’s a question our resume division receives every year around this time: Is the holiday season really a good time to launch a job search?

And our answer is always the same thing: An overwhelming, resounding yes.

And we’ll tell you why.

‘Tis the Season… for a New Career

  1. A lot of jobseekers actually delay or suspend their search over the holidays. The conventional wisdom is that the holiday season is a poor time to look for employment—many jobseekers are so overwhelmed with other holiday responsibilities that they simply take themselves off the market between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.

That’s good news for you. Less competition means more opportunities for you to shine—so while other jobseekers sit things out, you should put yourself in the game.

  1. Many companies go through a lot of turnover during the holidays. This is one of the prime times of year for established employees to start itching for a change—putting in their notice and heading off for greener pastures.

So if you think a lot of companies don’t hire over the holidays, think again: There are a lot of opportunities, and a lot of openings you could fill.

  1. The holiday season makes networking easier. There’s an old saying that, in jobseeking, it’s not what you know but who you know.

Well, you’ll have plenty of ways to reconnect with the people you know during the holidays—sending Christmas cards and LinkedIn greetings, or bumping into people at holiday parties. These are all great opportunities to build your network and let people know you’re looking.

Clearly, this is a fine season to really bump your job search into high gear—assuming you’re willing to put in some hustle and approach your search strategically.

A good place to start is with a new resume—and our team is standing ready, even during this busy time of year, to give yours the polish it needs.

Get started on your holiday job search. Contact Grammar Chic at 803-831-7444 or www.grammarchic.net.

1 Comment

Filed under Job Search, Resume Writing, Resumes

Should You Suspend Your Job Search Over the Holidays?

Job-Interview-smaller

The holidays are sufficiently busy that many jobseekers effectively put their searches on hold, from Thanksgiving through the start of January. They simply assume that employers are going to be too busy with holiday parties and end-of-the-year reporting—plus getting ready to start strong in the new year—to deal with things like hiring new talent.

This couldn’t be more wrong.

On the contrary, the holiday season is often an ideal time to seek out new employment. There is a lot less competition—many jobseekers actually do suspend their searches over the holidays—but also a lot more desperation for open positions to be filled. Landing the perfect position just might be easier than ever when you try to do it during the month of December. Who knew?

Holiday Job Hunt Tips

How should you go about a holiday job hunt? Basically like you’d go about a job hunt in March or August or October, but with a few special notes:

  • Don’t be timid about the fact that you’re looking for work. Many jobseekers are a little bit chagrined to talk openly about their need for employment, especially during this festive season—but being withdrawn about it can lead to some missed networking opportunities.
  • Use the holidays as an icebreaker. Just met a business owner who could give you a job? Initiate conversation about holiday crowds, travel, the weather—you name it. The holiday season serves as its own wonderful conversation-starter.
  • Don’t just use the holiday season as a conversation-starter, but also use it as a natural opportunity to reconnect. If there are old colleagues or friends you haven’t spoken to in a while, the festive season presents a natural chance to call, e-mail, or message them on LinkedIn.
  • Have you met with any hiring managers or recruiters over the past year? Send them a holiday card. It never hurts to just remind people that you’re there.
  • Get out of your house—yes, even in the cold—and socialize. Mingle. Go to as many parties and functions as you can get yourself invited to. Practice selling yourself, and hone your personal elevator pitch. There’s really nowhere better to do so than at a party.

And though it probably goes without saying: It’s not too late to have your resume perfected. Contact the Grammar Chic resume team today at www.grammarchic.net, or 803-831-7444.

2 Comments

Filed under Resume Writing