Holiday Job Hunting Blues? 5 Fantastic Reasons To Apply For Positions In December

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Looking for a job in December, and not getting much traction?

It's true, hiring activity does slow down late in the year as hiring managers and recruiters take their Christmas vacation, and corporate Finance teams clamp down on spending to goose the end-of-the-year numbers.

But don't lose hope. The end of the year can still be a great time to look for jobs. Here's why:

1. There are fewer applicants during the holidays. Job hunters are often just as distracted as potential employers, pulled into holiday shopping, vacation, and office parties – which means less competition and a better chance of having your resume reviewed.
    
2. Some positions really do need to be filled, regardless of the season. Urgently. While some hiring managers are off skiing in the Poconos or at home making holiday fruit cakes, some recruiters are still clocking in. And they're actively working on filling jobs for managers who are also in the office, screaming loudly about their need to fill the position. You won't know which posted positions are critical – so act as if they all are, and apply away. Be the gift that mysteriously appears under the hiring manager's tree (metaphorically speaking, of course).
    
3. The office environment is more relaxed during the holidays. Unless you work in retail, the pace of activity slows substantially during December. People are in a good mood. Let this work in your favor – should you be called for an interview, you may find yourself ina  more pleasant, in-depth meeting with the hiring manager than during crunch time. It's a great opportunity to build a bond when you're not rushed and don't find yourself competing for attention with your interviewer's email and a buzzing phone.
    
4. Your current employer will be less suspicious of time taken off for interviews. Between school Christmas pageants, holiday parties, and picking up visiting relatives at the airport, employers anticipate a lot of PTO will be used in December. You won't be missed.
    
5. Hiring picks up again in January. Big time. Be ready. Everyone's back in the office, and working at full speed. Managers will buzz the recruiter, demanding resumes for their open positions. If you applied in December, you're ready to be found. If you wait until January 2, it may be too late.

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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, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

5 Ways Great Bosses Are Like Batman

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There's no superhero cooler than Batman. I'm sorry, but this isn't up for debate; Batman's the best. He's an average guy (with, admittedly, a very fat wallet) who is able to overcome insurmountable odds and defeat those who wish to inflict evil upon society. And his costume and gizmos are pretty darn cool, too.

Great bosses can also do amazing things – for members of their team.

Here's 5 ways great bosses are like Batman:

1. They want to do what's right. Sure, the moral compass can get a bit disoriented from time to time in the chaos of the workplace. But like Batman, great bosses provide clarity and guidance on doing the right thing, and making sound decisions.
    

2. They work in the shadows to protect you. Batman usually fights evildoers in the dark, out of the public eye. Good bosses do the same - supporting your success by advocating on your behalf during informal conversations, and by defending your reputation to those who would do it harm.
    

3. They care. Batman is deeply invested the welfare of the citizens of Gotham. Great bosses feel the same about their employees, going to any reasonable length to support them in both good times and bad.
    

4. They investigate. Batman's the Detective, looking for clues. Great bosses do the same – if they see that you're struggling, if they receive negative feedback about your performance, if they observe anything out of the ordinary – they examine the situation from all angles, and try to identify both the problem and the solution.
    

5. They inspire. Batman sets the example that anyone can stand up to adversity. Great bosses accept challenges, and overcome them. Then they work with their team to encourage similar risk-taking and fearlessness.

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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, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

In Praise of Professional Manners for Job Seekers

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When it comes time to look for a job, manners matter.

If you treat the people involved in the process poorly at any contact point – the initial contact, the phone screen, the interview, salary negotiation, or any other part of the process – you may kill your chances of getting the job.

Let me be blunt: nobody wants to work with a jerk.

Surely, many employers could stand to learn how to better treat their job applicants, and the candidate experience is known to frequently suffer. But that's a topic for another day.

I spent 19 years filling jobs, both as an internal corporate recruiter and as an outside recruiter with staffing firms. The most difficult part of my line of work was not trying to find that "Purple Squirrel" – the rare candidate with a highly specific set of skills.

By far, the most challenging aspect of my job was trying to convince managers to hire people who possessed every required and preferred skill in the job description, but whom the hiring manager simply didn't like. If a manager told me they just "weren't feeling it" about a candidate, that usually meant they didn't like the person.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Why would a company be so dumb as to pass on somebody who clearly meets all the requirements, and then some? What kind of idiots are these hiring managers?"

The answer can be explained by a simple number: 2,080.

That's how many hours of work there are in a year, based upon an average of 40 hours per week, and 52 weeks in a year. Sure, you need to factor in overtime and deduct vacation days and holidays, but generally speaking, that's how many hours your hiring manager and peers would spend alongside you. Every. Single. Year.

Sure, sometimes personalities simply don't mesh, but just as often, this personal aversion comes down to basic human interaction. People with poor manners can be rude, annoying, and generally uncomfortable to be around.

So, why give employers additional reasons not to extend you a job offer? The job interview process is the time to be on your absolute best behavior. Interviews are an intensely social setting - I can promise you that you're being observed for your ability to positively enhance the dynamics of the workplace (or at a minimum, not detract from them). Failing to use your absolute best manners sends a clear message about what it would be like to spend time with you.

Here are some (rather) common breaches of etiquette that are quite likely to cause annoyance or offense:

• Showing up late to the interview.
   
• Not saying "please" or "thank you," or not saying these with enough frequency or to everyone involved in the process.
   
• Checking your cell phone during an interview.
   
• Bringing up inappropriate topics, such as sex or politics. If you're applying for a job at the Kinsey Institute or at a Washington, DC, think tank, these topics could be quite appropriate – otherwise, steer clear.
   
• Swearing, cursing, blasphemy, or irreverence.
   
• Sexist or racist comments.
   
• Complaining. About anything.
   
• Being dismissive or condescending toward anyone you encounter.
   
• Not sending "thank you" notes after the interview.

Clearly, these demonstrations of poor manners don't all carry equal weight, but any of these, during any point of the interview process, could give an employer ample reason to label you "unprofessional."

While it's difficult to muster empathy for interviewers who are passing judgment on you, failing to do so could cause you to come across as someone they don't want in their organization. Be your best self, and show ample respect for everyone. Don't be "That guy."

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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, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.