Debunking Holiday Job Search Myths
by Julie Swaner, Manager, Alumni Career Services

Are you suffering under the delusion that job hunting during the holidays is a worthless endeavor? Do you believe that your job search efforts between Thanksgiving and the middle of January are a waste of time? Are you looking forward to just relaxing and letting down your guard during the month of December? If so, you have succumbed to a class job-hunter’s myth and are losing out on one of the better job-searching seasons of the year.

Why is that, you might ask? During the holiday season, most fall trade shows have ended, holiday vacations have not yet begun, and competition for unfilled positions is reduced. Your potential rivals may be shopping, cooking, wrapping, or dreaming of sugarplums, so there may be little or no competition in your job search. In short, the holiday season is prime time to look for a job. Consider this classic myth debunked and put to rest forever.

The truth is, December is a crucial time for corporations and businesses to bring new employees on board. Most businesses want to tie up loose ends before the new year begins. Some departments have not filled all of their essential positions and, with allocated monies available in the budget, there is a scramble to fill approved spots. Hiring managers, with increased goals and quotas for the upcoming year, are eager to locate individuals who can get the jump on goal accomplishment. The reality is that in our 24/7 global economy, companies continue to hire at a high level all year long, with only a minimal dip in December. 

While the number of help-wanted ads usually decreases over the holidays, those that do appear are often high-priority jobs that must be filled quickly. Since fewer people read and respond to ads during this time, there is less competition than usual, giving job seekers a strategic advantage. 

According to many recruiters with whom I have spoken, December is their most stressful and exhausting month.  Many a hiring manager makes offers on Christmas Eve, staying late with paperwork so that the employee can start on January 2. 

Convinced? If so, take advantage of the holiday spirit and utilize it to gain ground on your competition and increase your odds for landing a much-sought-after position. Keep up the job search momentum and reap the rewards as the playing field thins out. Following are a few tips:

• Use holiday events to your advantage by schmoozing with family, friends, and acquaintances.  Be prepared to offer a brief 60-second statement about your career goals to anyone who will listen.
• Check professional association Web sites for position listings.
• Utilize ApplicantSearch™ if you have been putting it off.*
• Send your business card inside a season’s greeting card to all of those hiring managers, recruiters, and employer contacts with whom you have recently interviewed. In addition, send cards to friends and relatives as an effective way of keeping your name in front of referral sources.
• Phone various contacts the day after Thanksgiving. The few hiring managers who are at their desks that day may not only have the time to talk to you, but they also may be grateful for the chance to chat.
• Keep a schedule with at least one item you must accomplish each day toward your new job (this is no time to get lazy).
• Take seasonal work during the holidays; temporary agencies often struggle for help during December as some individuals are on vacation.
• Give of your time and volunteer. This is another way to meet people and learn about up and coming opportunities.

In short, don’t hibernate, get out there!  Who knows, you may be popping a cork on New Years’ Eve in celebration of that new-found job.

*To access ApplicantSearch™ go to:
http://utahalumni.applicantsearch.com/

Need career coaching? Contact Julie Swaner, Program Manager, Alumni Career Services, (801) 585-5036.