Christmas music is playing everywhere, the holiday decorations are completed in your house, and your gift shopping list is almost finished. Yes, Christmas and new year is only a few days away! The holiday season is often filled with sweet snacks, exciting gift exchanges and family obligations. Plus, you may also have some end-of-year quotas that need to be met at work on top of everything. There is one (important) thing you should not put aside during this time of the year – your job search.
There is a common myth in the job market saying that companies do not hire during the holiday season, because most of the decision makers are either taking vacations or too busy focusing on their year-end goals. However, that is not the case. Starting from October, and all the way to the new year, is actually a great chance to kick your job search into high gear. A new calendar year brings new budget for companies, resulting in more openings for job seekers. In fact, many proactive hiring managers start to scope out candidates during the holiday season. Just like most job seekers, you want to take a break and enjoy some family time during this season. However, keep in mind that this is the perfect opportunity for you to take actions while others take time off. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated and effective during your holiday job-search!
Re-decorate your to-do list
When your motivation is low during the holiday season, job-searching tasks such as “organize network connections”, “edit resume”, or “re-write cover letter” that requires a lot of thinking and planning can be a little overwhelming. A great way to instantly make your job search more manageable during this jolly season is to re-arrange your to-do list and divide complicated tasks into smaller, and more specific tasks.
For example, you can set a smaller goal for yourself everyday such as reach out to one or two direct contacts or referrals for informational interviews. These easy tasks will keep you on your feet during the holiday season without being overwhelmed. In terms of actively applying, instead of telling yourself to find more jobs in general, you can set a weekly quota for yourself. Set a realistic goal to allow yourself to focus on crafting the best job applications each week.
Eyes on the prize
When your start to feel disappointed or frustrated during your job search, think about what you want to achieve and how you will feel once you’ve accomplished it. When you’re feeling blue, ask yourself “what kind of lifestyle do you want for the rest of your life?”, “what do you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years”, and “what do you want for your family?”.
Pinning up photos of the lifestyle you want to achieve, the cities or sites you want to visit, and the career goals that you want to accomplish will remind you of why you are here. If you need some motivation from others, try to write down some inspirational quote that truly motivates you and put it at places that you can see everyday. Also, giving yourself a small reward—like watching “puppies rolling in the snow” video on YouTube—for crossing to-do items off your list can help you keep your head up from the pile of to-do’s.
Don’t be shy with your holiday greetings
What’s a better time than Christmas to connect or re-connect with networking contacts? A holiday greeting letter or email goes a long way if you really put in your sincerity, and ask for information in a smart way. When attending Christmas parties, don’t be shy to talk to people, and seek for information that benefits your career. You may be surprised to see who these party animals know, and what information they can provide to accelerate your job-search.
You may not believe it, but Christmas is actually a great time to reach out to hiring managers from companies you want to work for. Many job seekers think recruiters and hiring managers take off for half of December, but that’s not true. In fact, some HR representatives and hiring managers are more available at this time of the year than any. A lot of them tend to spend the last week or two of the year cleaning up files and screening candidates to get ready for the New Year. Don’t be shy to reach out to them and send them some Christmas jollies, this may just be your chance to join your favourite company!
As the largest career college in Canada with 50 campuses across the country, Academy of Learning College attributes the growth in our success to identifying the gap between the formal education available and the realities of the working world. We fulfill the needs of learners by developing customized programs for each student, while meeting the requirements for convenient and effective training at an affordable cost.