“Keep Job Hunting During the Holidays: Tis the Season for New Job Networking”
Monday, November 23rd, 2009“I’m putting off MY job hunt until after the holidays. Nobody’s hiring now.” We have heard too many people say this.his misconception stated by many of our clients. Often job hunters think the time from Thanksgiving to the end of the year is a bad time for job hunting because people have parties, not business on their minds. Therefore they postpone their job search until January. This way of thinking is a big mistake and can lead to missed opportunities. The truth is, the holiday season, like any other time of the year, has job openings.
A position becomes open due to growth of the business or replacement of an employee who has quit, transferred, retired, been fired, promoted or become sick. That makes seven reasons for a job to open up, none of which have anything to do with a particular season.
When January brings in the new year, it is a great time to begin something new. Many organizations department’s budgets have been approved and fresh money is available for hiring new employees.
Since the recruitment of candidates, initial screening, interviewing, final selection and approval, and training all consume lots of time, it is not unreasonable that a January hire would be put into motion in October or November. Anyone who slacks off on their job hunt during the holiday season, risks losing a strategic advantage. Part of this advantage stems from staying in the hunt while others sit on the sidelines, telling themselves there is no point in looking right now. Then, the holiday season carries a psychological advantage. There is a sense of good cheer in the air. People are a bit more approachable due to the holiday spirit, which can’t help but engulf us at this time of the year.
Instead of contacts being hard to reach this time of year, they are in town this month because they’re planning to attend a lot of parties and do some networking themselves. Here’s how to get the most job seeking mileage out of holiday events:
1) Check the newspaper for association-sponsored holiday events (or breakfasts and luncheons), and try to attend as many as possible.
2) Take your business cards or resumes everywhere.
3) Resolve to meet at least ten people at each event.
4) Search out and thank the party organizers, and be sure to compliment them on the good job they did.
5) Organize a networking event of your own, with people you have been meaning to contact.
6) Attend your own trade or professional association’s holiday-season event. This gives you a chance to meet all the new members and to see all of your old contacts who haven’t been at any recent meetings.
A little partying can provide a lot of contacts. Every person you meet can give you additional names of people who can help you in your job hunt. By networking you can open the “hidden job market”—those jobs that have yet to be advertised, or never will be.
Remember, openings do occur without regard to the calendar. The need of the employer to get a suitable employee overrides all other considerations. When they need help, they will hire and there is no way to predict when it will happen. The best bet is to keep a job campaign moving at all times.
