By Jeff Westover
Cathy Hughes can't stand this time of year.
As a HR administrator, her job requires a year round effort of screening
candidates, interviewing, hiring and training. But from Thanksgiving to the
New Year, Cathy struggles to do her job and fulfill the personnel
requirements of her company. She reports that she spends more money on
recruiting in December than she does the rest of the year and gets far less
in return for it.
"Everybody is concerned with gift buying and family commitments at this time
of the year. They just don't seem to have time or attention for finding a
job." Cathy said.
That's funny. Job seekers seem to be saying the same thing.
One of the most powerful truths of an effective job search is that nothing
can ever be assumed. The career opportunities that exist anywhere must never
be limited by the assumptions of the job seeker. Yet every year at this
time, most job seekers make the mistake of doing little to further their job
search. And that spells opportunity for the job seeker that works smart.
Easy Networking
The holidays are a natural networking opportunity. Even if a new job is not
being actively pursued, a networking-savvy professional takes the
opportunity of the holidays to remember each person in their network and
make warm contact with them.
For the job seeker, the holidays are a gift in more ways than one.
Opportunities present themselves at this time of the year to get in touch
with decision-makers and most find that contacts are willing to give a
minute of their time in the spirit of holiday cheer.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, more 83% of all
companies host a holiday party. These events prove to be a target-rich
environment for the job seeker with a networking plan.
Additionally, contact is easier with people not known on a familiar basis
during the holiday season. Casual phone calls or quick visits to extend
holiday wishes go a long way to make favorable impressions that carry over
into the New Year.
December Is A Time For Decisiveness
The mistaken assumption exists that companies do not make changes at this
time of the year.
While many companies do operate on a fiscal schedule that may have no
relation to the traditional calendar, many still use January 1st as a target
date for beginning new projects, implementing budget changes or launching
new programs.
Even a casual researching effort into the practices of a target company may
reveal that December is a big month for making decisions. In fact, the
decision-makers and hiring managers involved with beginning-of-the-year
projects often work through the holidays to ensure readiness. The big
mistake is assuming that it cannot be true.
Some companies have vacation policies that prohibit a certain amount of
management to be absent at the same time. If the hiring manager you are
targeting has to work to cover management duties during this time of the
year, it can be an excellent time to get an audience.
Emerging Opportunities Abound
The end of the year offers outstanding opportunities for researching new
jobs, companies and professions. Many companies are profiled in year-end
summaries in industry publications and newspapers. These articles can
identify emerging opportunities that mean jobs for the observant job seeker.
Even if hiring managers are not around, the holidays can be an excellent
time to network with employees of a given company in search of useful
information. Seeds for future employment can be sown in these meetings.
Things a Job Seeker Can Do
January is traditionally one of the largest hiring months of the year.
That means that the job seeker cannot stop during the holidays. In fact, as
January brings the New Year resolutions to bear for job seekers everywhere,
the smart job seeker needs to position himself during November and December.
Consistent effort before the hiring storm of January will go a long way in
finding the better job.
The momentum of a job search is almost as important as the search itself. To
stop making efforts to find a job for 4 to 6 weeks means that contacts are
allowed to go "cold" and there is a lack of follow through on job leads.
Starting over in January with the rest of the crowd hardly leaves the
impression that a job seeker has proactive tendencies!
If the job seeker anticipates problems contacting a hiring manager during
the holiday season, then plans must be made and executed to work the other
angles of the job search. These things would include:
- Sending holiday greeting cards to contacts
- Attending holiday business functions with business cards in hand
- Contacting other individuals within an organization that can provide
information
- Researching year-end reports about the company or field of interest
- Becoming involved in charitable events associated with companies and
organizations
The best impression that can be made during this season to a hiring manager
is that the job seeker serious about finding a job. The ability to overcome
the perceived difficulties of the job search at this time of the year can do
more to promote skills in handling a challenge. The holidays are truly an
opportunity to allow skills to shine far more than how they are portrayed in
a resume.
-- Jeff Westover is an Internet Content Developer based in Salt Lake City.
He has 15 years of executive level experience in personnel and project
management. Jeff writes for
myjobsearch.com, publishers of the largest independent directory of online
career resources.
