Is Holiday Job Search a Waste of Time?

“Holiday job search? Companies don’t hire in November and December, right? Maybe it makes more sense to wait until the new year to dive into my search.”

If this is your thinking, you’re missing out on opportunities to make headway in your job search, when your competitors have taken that misguided notion to heart, and put their searches on hold.

Many companies have openings to fill right now and other new openings will be coming around, before the new year.

Job search expert Susan P. Joyce put it plainly in a LinkedIn post:

“A VERY significant amount of hiring takes place in the 4th quarter of the year. Not being “fully staffed” on Jan. 1 can mean the manager loses the budget for the unfilled job(s) to another department or delaying important work. Yikes!

Making the delay even worse for job seekers, those who wait until January to start/resume their job search face the toughest and MOST competitive job market of the whole year!

On the other hand, job seekers who look for jobs from October through the end of December have —

– LESS competition.
– Hiring managers desperate to fill their job openings before the end of the year to be fully staffed on Jan. 1.
– Many holiday events to leverage for networking, research, and referrals.”

Holiday Job Search Is NOT a Waste of Time

Holiday job-hunting offers unique circumstances to network – at office parties, family/friends get-togethers, and other holiday events – that we don’t typically see at other times of year.

You’ll have more opportunities to meet and speak with recruiters, hiring decision makers at your target companies, and others who can help you with your career goals. They won’t be inundated with meeting requests, like they probably will as soon as January gets here.

Take advantage of the fact that there’s less competition right now because so many others will put their job search on hold until the first of the year. Fewer candidates are jockeying to position themselves in front of hiring decision makers and vying for their attention. Your network and new contacts are probably not overwhelmed by requests right now, and you have the opportunity to make inroads.

Job search and career expert Alison Doyle agrees that there are more networking opportunities during the holidays:

“You couldn’t pick a better time of year for networking. There are many social and business holiday functions during November and December when you can connect with people who can help your job search. Don’t be shy. Most people are thrilled to have the opportunity to pay it forward by helping you out, especially during the season of giving.

Consider getting a business card made with your contact information and the URL of your LinkedIn page, if you have one. Bring a supply with you to give to the people you meet at networking events and holiday parties. Have an elevator pitch ready so you can quickly share information on your background.”

She offered another reason why hiring continues through the holidays:

“Hiring used to be seasonal. Now it’s on-demand. If a company decides that they need a new employee or if a current employee moves on, they won’t wait to start the hiring process. If you’re hiring ready, you’ll be positioned for job search success.”

Do the Prep Work for Your Holiday Job Search

The following applies whether you’re just starting out or continuing your job search during the holidays, or even if you’re job hunting any time of year.

Targeting, research and personal branding

You’ll need to do all the important initial steps: targeting, research and defining (or refining) your personal brand.

If you don’t know what companies or organizations you want to work for, you won’t be able to clearly position yourself as a “fixer” for specific problems facing specific employers.

And, you won’t know what kind of information about you to include in your personal marketing materials.

My job search worksheets will help you.

Update your personal marketing materials

Don’t forget to update your resume, LinkedIn profile and any other job search materials. Make sure that all of these supporting documents and profiles communicate your personal brand and clearly position you as someone your target employers need.

Update and prep your references

Get your list of references in order. Are you ready to send potential employers a list of several people qualified to verify your strengths, character, qualifications and good-fit for their needs? Weak (or in any way negative) references can kill your chances of being made an offer.

If it’s been a while since you created your reference list, you may need to replace people with others. Be sure to ask everyone if it’s okay to include them on your list, and let them know what things you’d like them to say about you, when they’re contacted.

Monitor and build your online presence

And while you’re at it, self-Google and do a sweeping assessment of your social media presence and overall online presence. What are people seeing when they Google “your name”?

If very few search results appear when you Google “your name”, it’s time to get busy building a stronger online presence. Hiring professionals gravitate towards candidates with a more robust online footprint. It provides them more information to quickly assess you and it serves as social proof, backing up the claims you’ve made about yourself in your resume.

Lean into LinkedIn, especially. Build out your profile and get involved with posting updates, connecting, Groups, and other activities the site offers. My Essential LinkedIn Guide will help you.

My Advice for Successful Holiday Job Search

These are things to do in November and December:

• Refine your networking skills.
• Volunteer your time at organizations that need your expertise, and practice give-to-get networking – you may be able to connect with people who can give you some solid leads.
• Reevaluate and rework your career/job search goals.
• Seek out new contacts.
• Touch base with your existing network. Thank them for leads and the help they’ve provided. Share season’s greetings. Send out hand-addressed holiday cards with meaningful hand-written messages.
• Remind everyone you know (personally and professionally) that you’re actively looking. But be careful who you tell, if you’re job hunting under cover.
• Take time to “hide out” and reflect, but don’t give up on job search entirely.
• Attend formal and informal networking events, like holiday parties.
• Attend professional association meetings and job search workshops at your local Career Center.

3 More Holiday Job Search Tips

Here’s a good tip from The Muse:

Make a list of potential contacts (and draft emails)

“Make an exhaustive list, narrow it down, and then begin drafting emails. I’d recommend waiting until at least a few days after the holidays have ended to actually send your carefully crafted emails or LinkedIn messages, keeping in mind that most people who took time off will be inundated with emails on their first day back in the office. And you definitely don’t want yours to get lost in an overflowing inbox.”

And another good one from Indeed:

Create a schedule

“As you look for a job through the holidays, consider creating a job search schedule. This can help you consciously set aside time to look for a new position. It can also help you establish a healthy balance between looking for a job and enjoying the fun and merriment of the season. A job search schedule can also hold you accountable. Even if you only devote 30 minutes per day to your job search, adhering to a routine ensures you’re making some progress toward your employment efforts.”

And one from FlexJobs:

Keep the momentum going

“You’ve likely developed some productive job-seeking routines during the last few months, and it’s wise to keep on moving. If you slow down or stop your job search, it might be tough to get back into the swing of things when you’re ready to ramp up again. By pressing forward with job searching during the holidays, you’ll keep your momentum going and won’t miss a beat come January.”

Get a FREE Copy of My Holiday Job Search Ebook

I collaborated with Susan P. Joyce (noted above) a few years ago to create this nifty ebook. It’s loaded with juicy tips from the Job-Hunt Experts, to help you navigate a job search over the holiday season.

Some of the details about using various social media may no longer apply, due to the ever-changing nature of social media. But there are still lots of great tips and strategies that DO apply. (The link takes you right to the PDF. No signup is required.)