The Biggest Mistakes Job Seekers Make During the Holidays

1. Not taking advantage of holiday gatherings where there will be various groups of people to network with.

2. Losing 2-3 weeks of traction by not keeping up with job search activities over the holidays. Christmas and New Years are just 2 days. I see people take 2-3 weeks off from search.

3. Not being prepared to talk about their search and tell people specifically how they can help.

4. Being too focused on themselves and losing sight of the meaning of Christmas which is a time to focus on others.

5. Believing in the myth that hiring doesn’t happen over the holidays.

I can’t impress upon my clients enough the fact that the holidays are a time to get a stronger foot hold in the job market. Employers are looking ahead to next year and assessing their staffing needs. I tell job seekers that they want to be ready because proactive employers who have committed to hiring in the new year will be starting to do prescreening interviews now.

The last mistake I see job seekers make during this time is letting the worries of the job search rob them of the peace and joy of the season. My wish for all who are struggling with a dissatisfying employment situation is hope in the New Year.