How and Why You Should Still Job Search This Holiday
There is always someone, somewhere, who is currently searching for the ideal candidate, even during the holiday season. In fact, this is an ideal time for you to job search because the competition may be sipping on eggnog, leaving that opportunity available for you to snatch.
Some employers will begin posting job openings on company websites before the end of the holiday season, even if they are planning to fill jobs in January. Therefore, by job searching during the holidays, you will be getting ahead of job seekers who won’t see those postings until after the holidays.
What can you do to keep yourself motivated and take advantage of the space left by other job seekers during the holidays?
Here Are 5 Steps You Can Take This Holiday to Help You Get Ahead of the 2020 Job Search Rush
#1. Create A Job Search Schedule
One of the most important steps you can take this holiday season is to make time to job search. This may sound simple, but scheduling job search time will keep it top of mind and organize your job search activity while sustaining momentum.
Try not to let the celebrations slow down your job search process. Put aside time each day—even just 30 minutes a day—to look through online job ads and LinkedIn to locate positions.
#2. Rebrand Yourself
Work on your social media presence because having a social media presence today is a necessity. Set up or fire up the following profiles:
1. LinkedIn
2. Facebook.
3. Twitter
4. Instagram
If you have no idea what to do, look to other professional profiles for inspiration. See what others in your space are doing with their social media accounts and formulate your game-plan.
This plan of action should include:
1. Setting up a key-word rich profile.
2. Sharing information that will brand you as an expert in your field.
3. Using hashtags to identify job leads, such as #jobsearch #careers #jobs #recruiter
4. Socialize. Network with folks online and you may just network your way to a new job.
#3 Reconnect with Your Network
The holiday season is a pretty good time to reconnect, strengthen, and tap into your network because many will be on holiday break with a bit more time on their hands to engage and in a much better mood (wink).
How? You can send an email filled with holiday cheer. Wish your friends, associates, and even customers a ‘Merry Christmas & Happy New Year’. When you receive a reply, feel comfortable setting up some time to have lunch or dinner. This would be a great conversation starter, and you can begin to share that you are job searching and if they wouldn’t mind keeping you in mind if they hear of any opportunities in alignment with what you seek. Do not make the entire ‘date’ about your job search. Engage and have fun.
#4 Build Your Job Search Tools
Let’s face it, we are all pretty busy throughout the year. By the time that December rolls around, we’re looking forward to some downtime. However, this is a good time for you to learn about the job search market and job search tactics.
How do you prepare a resume that will work in the 2020 job search market?
What job search items do you need to successfully job search in today’s modern and complex business world?
How do you tap into the hidden job market?
How do you contact recruiters?
How can you excel during an interview?
Although many are budgeting around this time, this is actually the best time to hire a coach or an executive resume writer because you have the time to roll up your sleeves and collaborate on building your personal brand and amazing job search materials.
#5. Tap into the Hidden Job Market
At the executive level, less than 10% of the job openings are posted online. That means you have to be a bit more diligent and excavate beneath the surface to find job opportunities.
This is the right time for you to go online and surf as much as you can, gathering all intel on companies—from startups to those merging, or expanding. Then create a high-impact broadcast letter and email it/ mail it to the HR contact listed for the company of interest.
Here are some sites where you can start searching, vetting, and compiling a list of employers you’d like to work for.
https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/webusers.htm
https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/basics/how-market-works/public-companies
https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/basics/how-market-works/public-companies
Bottom Line:
The job search continues! I wish you good luck and a Happy Holidays to you and your family!
