Searching for a job is hard work and many job seekers decide to take an extended break during the holiday season. If you lose momentum now, it will be tough to get it back at the beginning of the year. Here are five reasons why you should not take a “holiday” from your job search:
1) Many companies have finalized their annual operating budgets and initiatives for 2015 and determined additional headcount needed to support the key priorities. Proactive hiring managers are anxious to get started on finding the right candidate for these new positions and will begin to strategize their recruiting strategies. Even if the hiring will not occur until 2015, it is a great time to set up business information sessions with key decision makers and position yourself inside an organization.
2) Staff changes often occur during the first few months of the year. Employees who are considering leaving a company or retiring wait to exhaust all of their vacation and personal holidays for the year, wait to receive that much earned bonus, or complete that final year of service before submitting their resignation. Networking and becoming “top of their list” during the next few months may lead to that coveted interview in the New Year.
3) Hiring managers and decision makers often have more time at the end of the year for networking and informational meetings once the 4th quarter initiatives are in place. In my former company, the corporate employees utilized the November and December time frame to focus on 2015 planning while the field was executing the established 4th quarter plans.
4) Professional organizations, alumni associations and various groups often host holiday mixers and gatherings which is a great way to increase your visibility, increase your number of contacts and gain insight into hiring plans for 2015. Events held in December often draw larger crowds than normal because people have a less significant workload and are feeling festive.
5) The number of employees seeking to make a job change increases after the first of the year for the reasons previously discussed. You will want to utilize the time now to stay top of mind.
To beat the post holidays crowd, stay focused on your job search and ramp up your networking activities.
Happy Holidays from The Frontier Group!
