Job Search Takes a Holiday

Some simple strategies that help the job seeker

The holiday season – a time when professional life often slows down while the personal side of life speeds up. In between there is the job seeker. For the job seeker, there are no holidays.

This is not to say a job seeker should be a social hermit during this time. Granted there are those awkward moments when you’re asked, “What are you doing?” or, “How’s the job search going?” That’s another topic for another day.

Time has come today

So, how best to use your time. With so many retailers adding bodies for the holidays, you have an excellent chance of landing one of those spots. Not only will you be able to soften your financial burden and feel better about yourself, but candidates with jobs are always more appealing to prospective employers.

Also, many holiday retailers welcome individuals who are willing to work late – say a noon to nine shift. Why is this good for you? This schedule still allows you to keep your mornings available for your job search. You can even schedule job interviews in the mornings.

If, for whatever reason, you’re not on anyone’s holiday payroll, there is still much to do. It’s a great time to do research on your target companies and/or target contacts – or, to uncover more target companies and contacts.

It’s also a great time to circle back to previous contacts just to touch base to let them know that you’re still looking or to learn of any new developments. You might also want to take some time to scour the many free resume websites. You never know whether or not you’ll find some new and fresh ideas for sprucing up your resume.

While it’s important to keep all your job search irons in the fire, it’s still the holidays. When it’s appropriate, put your job search out of your mind, relax and enjoy the time with family and friends.

More tips.