5 Job Hunting Tips for the Holiday Season (Even If You’d Rather Not Think About It)

Happy Holidays! Yes, it’s once again time to hop the holiday roller coaster and rocket through to the end of the year, but if you are engaged in a job search it may seem like your roller coaster is stuck on the precipice of a 500 foot drop and it’s just going to sit there teetering on the edge until January 2 of next year.

Want to keep the momentum going? Here are five helpful job tips to help you through this very special time of year:

1. Don’t let up! Yes, it is true that once the holidays hit and the company parties start, so do end-of-year vacations for hiring managers and recruiters. However, while there may be less people looking through new applications, there are people doing it. And there may be fewer resumes for employers to sort because other job seekers are waiting for the holidays to end to apply. Take advantage of the slowdown to rise to the top of the pile.

2.  Maximize the use of your time. If you’re finding fewer listings for full-time positions accepting applications, or a significant decrease in interviews and employer engagement, use the time to make updates to your resume and run through your checklist (The Essential Job Search Checklist). Be as prepared as possible! January and February are great months to get hired, so what you do during the holidays will have a direct impact on your visibility during that peak time.

3.  Network. The holidays are the perfect time to scroll through your professional contact list and make sure several people in your Rolodex receive a strategic holiday greeting. Taking the time to make a simple and kind holiday gesture to your professional contacts is a down payment on your new year. (Note: Yes, I said Rolodex. I’m old, get over it.)

4.  Explore temporary assignments. Since many workers go on vacation, there may be an increase in need for temporary staff. It may be easier to hit the eggnog and “start fresh” in 2020 (#procrastination), but exploring temp assignments during the holidays has several benefits: 1) Earning extra holiday money; 2) Enabling you to experience a new company and/or role short term and gain insight into whether or not it is a match for the long term; and 3) Taking temporary positions can sometimes lead to full-time positions. On this last point, “temp to perm” is not always concurrent – while they company might not have a need to hire you full time at the moment, if you make a positive impression that holiday temp assignment could lead to a permanent job later in the year.

5.  Explore Seasonal work. Far from winding down with parties and Secret Santas, the holidays are the busiest time for some sectors like retail, hospitality, warehouse/shipping, and event planning. There are currently 63,000 jobs listed on Indeed.com for “Holiday Seasonal Work” in the United States – and that’s just one job board!

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercareerstrategies.com.