Ten Reasons to Amp Up Your Job Search During Holiday Season

The holidays are almost over but it is not too late to finish strong. There is still a window of opportunity for proactive job seekers willing to dedicate a little, but significant, time to the administration of finding a job. Here are 10 scientifically (maybe?) proven reasons to keep looking in December:

1.     While it’s easy to be lazy every day of the year, it’s especially easy to be lazy during the holidays! Chances are most of your immediate competition isn’t thinking about their job search. They are on vacation or at holiday parties, and most are certainly double-fisting spiked eggnog and coquitos before walking into a wall. Take advantage of other people’s laziness. Now is the time to jump to the front of the line.

2.     There is truth to the perception that office workloads tend lighten up in December (excepting retail) – especially between Christmas and New Year’s Day. That includes hiring managers and recruiters. Think of driving around on Christmas Day, or, even better, during the height of “shelter-at-home.” The streets are empty. Now is the time you may be able to get through to the recruiter or hiring manager.                         

3.     The holidays are a giving season. It’s the one time of year that we feel celebrate our good fortune and help others who may not be as well off. That is the essence of the holiday spirit and it’s not silly to believe that, not unlike The Grinch, hiring managers and recruiters have small hearts that can grow up to three times. Now is the time to see if you can parlay some of that good old-fashioned holiday spirit into a new job.  

4.     Hiring managers are terrified of being understaffed. Some may try and orchestrate an end-of-the-year hiring surge to fill open positions before the new calendar and fiscal year. Now is the time to exploit the fears of strangers who are in a position to employ you.

5.     There is so much extra activity during the holidays that aberrations in normal routines go unnoticed. It’s also Covid/flu/RSV season. Everybody assumes everything is related to the holidays or one of the many options we have in our malady buffet. If you are employed but trying to jump ship, a December job interview won’t stand out to your boss. Now is the time to sneak away.

6.     Nothing takes the edge off looking for a new job than endless holiday feasting. Ever hear of Kugel? Don’t ask questions, just start eating it by the gallon. There is no bottom when it comes to holiday treats. Whether it’s a gingerbread house or a chocolate dreidel, food euphoria can power your job search. Now is the time to gain weight and write cover letters.

7.     Whether you like it or not, you are in shopping mode. Shop. Shop. Shop. However, there is only so much shopping you can do. At some point, the parking lot is full and it’s time to retreat home to nurse your consumer wounds. As long as you’re in shopping mode, though, you may as well shop for a new job – and it’s free. Now is the time to shop ‘till you drop until you find the perfect gift for yourself –  a new job.

8.     Take off your Santa hat and put on your tax deduction hat, which really can be anything from a beret to a sombrero. Any hat will do as long as you say it’s a tax deduction hat. If there is anything, anything at all, you need to help you with your job search (e.g., portfolio) you should buy it before the holidays end. It may be tax deductible (we’re not accountants – talk to your CPA for advice).

9.     Under your tree, you might find a iPhone 14, a pair of Air Jordans, and a Robux gift card. Please note what you didn’t find – a new job. Now is the time to follow potential job leads.

10.  One of the most effective (yet unproven and unsupported by any type of data or anecdotal evidence) ways of landing a new job is wearing an ugly Christmas sweater while mining the job boards. Additional fabricated data analysis shows that ugly Christmas sweaters increase the chances of getting a job interview by 25% – 30%, which is almost always followed by a job offer that includes a parking spot (Source: Absolutely nothing reliable). Now is the time to wear an ugly Christmas sweater every day.

Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching is 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.insidercs.com.