Thanksgiving to New Year’s Job-Search Doldrums Got You Down?

Don’t despair—this can be one of the best times to find a job! Don’t believe the myth about this being a terrible time to network and seek job opportunities. Instead, leverage the fact that many still do believe that—and use the opportunity to gain greater exposure with fewer competing candidates.

Even with companies cutting back—we’re all hearing about new reductions-in-workforce announcements every day—those same companies, and others, are still hiring. The key is to get before the right decision maker and promote your skills, the solutions you can provide.

Use these weeks to great advantage—attend networking events, holidays parties, open houses, socials through your children’s schools (concerts, festivals, book fairs, etc.)—in short, get out there and make sure everyone knows you are looking. Have that resume and networking card ready to go—and be sure your 30-second elevator speech is polished for immediate delivery.

Many gainfully employed folks are not on vacation during the month of December, so your chances of connecting with people in positions of influence and who can make decisions are high. Be professionally persistent. Even if decisions aren’t going to be made until right after the first of January, you want to be vetted and have gone through several rounds of interviews before the rest of the competition begins to gather.

Stay totally positive, pumped up, and enthusiastic. When people express concern or worry about your state of unemployment, especially during the holidays, state with sincerity your conviction about landing the right job, feeling very excited about the prospect of opportunity being ‘right around the corner,’ and, in short, using the law of attraction to surround yourself with positive energy and people who genuinely want to help you! We all like being around upbeat people, so make sure your outer persona reflects confidence and optimism.

Network like crazy—be sure your profiles are up-to-date (with a great headshot) on twitter, linkedin, zoominfo, ziggs, plaxo, and other key professional networking sites. Consider reading a motivational book such as "You, Inc." (Beckwith).

Keep conversations and dialogues going—follow up to each and every lead and word of encouragement with a note or e-mail. Stay top-of-the-mind among every one you meet and don’t hide the fact that you are job-seeking. Reread your resume and letters of commendation to give yourself a boost about all you have to offer the right company. Know that you’ll land a great opportunity—just don’t take your foot off the accelerator these next four to six weeks!

-- Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW

Comments

[Mark Hovind]

Jan, well done and good advice!

You are EXACTLY right that December is a good time to look for a job. In fact, December is statistically 20% better overall than January because there are fewer people looking. However, it does vary by industry.

To see my analysis, go to http://jobbait.com/a/seasonal.htm.

Mark Hovind

[Sabrina]

Excellent post!! Networking is the key to long term career management. The connections you make throughout life will serve you well if you just reach out and show you are interested in them. Then, when you need help they are happy to repay you. Reaching the hiring managers is the key to getting past the gatekeepers. Use your connections to find a side door. With so many people on vacation - many of the experienced gatekeepers are gone. Many jobseekers will also take a holiday so you have less competition. There is no time like the present!

[Peter Dunn]

Great post! Networking is the best key to long term career success. In some cities (e.g., Denver, Milwaukee, Jacksonville) it is almost the only way to get a good job. For those of us who tend to be heads-down, eyes-ahead, network-neglecters, the websites can be a terrific resource. Even social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace will be attractive, especially younger jobseekers.

My experience indicates that job activity over the holidays decreases more on the seeker side than the sought side (who are, as always, at work). Visits to my research link website tend to drop off 20-30% in November and December (as well as July, August and May), which tells me that people are not working as hard at looking for a job.

Those that continue their effort will be in much better shape to start the new year with a new job.