We are officially in the holiday season, the most vulnerable time of the year for job seekers. Job searches often lose the most traction during this time of year. Here are the common derailers and how to prevent them from stalling your job search.
1. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season starts to distract the common job seeker.
Remember the majority of businesses do business every day except Christmas Day and New Years Day. This is only 2 days, meaning there are 23 business days companies are open and doing business. It is common for job seekers to kick back for up to 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and the first full week of the New Year, losing major momentum in their search.
2. Kids are home for the holiday which can be an added distraction for the job seeker.
The best tip is maintain a consistent schedule for job search. Even if it means packing up your things and going to a coffee shop or library to get job search activity done.
3. Job seekers lull themselves into believing everyone they want to network with or talk to is off on vacation.
I’ve yet to meet any working person who is off for these 6 weeks. Though business may slow down a bit, depending on the industry, people are still at the office.
4. Job seekers believe companies do not hire during the holiday.
Smart employers start to screen and interview during Dec. They do not want to wait to start the hiring process until after the first of the year, running the risk of wasting the majority of the first quarter until a new hire is in place.
January is one of the busiest times of the year for people to start looking for new jobs, meaning there will be more competition in the job market. Stay ahead of your competition, don’t let your job search stall over the holidays.
