Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Yes, you can find a job during the holidays

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89748333_0a07698b96_m“No one gets a job around the holidays. It’s a good time to take a break and relax until things ramp up in the new year.” Are you hearing this advice, or convincing yourself it’s true? If so, you could be missing out on an amazing career or job opportunity.

In fact, the holiday season can be the best time to look for a job. It is a big mistake to take a break now. Finish the year strong! Here are eight reasons to ramp up your job search at this time of year.

1. Organizations may suddenly realize they have money to spend before year-end.
Wouldn’t it be nice to suddenly discover money you didn’t know you had? That happens more often than you think at large companies. They realize at the 11th hour that they have enough in the budget to fill extra positions, but they need to get the people in seats before the end of the year, or the money will disappear. If you stop looking for a job or get lackadaisical about checking emails, you may lose an opportunity and never even know it.

2. Your competition may be taking a break. The myth that November and December aren’t good times to find jobs is strongly engrained in our psyches. (Plus, everyone wants to take a break and focus on things that aren’t related to the job search!) Not everyone is keeping up with the latest and greatest when it comes to job search like you are! As a result, the competition is a little less fierce. When people are on vacation, they may not answer a recruiter or hiring manager’s call in a timely way, which could mean you have an opportunity to impress your next boss on the phone before your otherwise more qualified colleague stops to check email.

3. You want to be prepared and get ahead. Anyone in the careers industry, including resume writers and job search strategists, will tell you January is typically a very busy time, because that’s when many people try to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions that involve getting out of jobs they hate. Don’t sit back and wait to re-enter the pool with everyone else! Get ahead of the crowd. At the very least, use this time to prepare materials to help you land a job, even if the calls don’t come until January.

4. People leave jobs after they receive bonuses.
Some companies give big bonuses at this time of year, and employees who were waiting for those big checks to clear before giving notice will begin to announce their intention to leave–or, in some cases, just walk out the door. When you make yourself available, you will keep yourself open to potential opportunities that would otherwise pass you by.

5. When people take vacations, you may be able to swoop in. Have you ever been in the situation where a lot of co-workers were off for the holidays and a big project came walking in the door? It’s not unusual for companies to find themselves in need of some contract help at this time of year to get their work done. When the regulars are off vacationing and decking the halls, you have an opportunity to audition for a role in the company and to enhance your resume and credentials, even if you know the regular employee is coming back. If you are impressive enough, the organization may find a place for you.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

6. Recruiters and hiring managers appreciate quick responses.
No doubt, it can be more challenging to connect with the best candidates at this time of year. When recruiters are in a hurry or hiring managers have an urgent need, the fact that you get right back to them during a holiday period will make you stand out and give a good impression. There aren’t a lot of other times during the year when just being prompt makes such a difference. When you communicate well and quickly, you have an advantage.

7. Improved networking opportunities.
The best people to network with you are the people closest to you and their friends. If nothing else, be sure to get out of the house and accept all of those holiday party invitations. Plan ahead to make the most of these social events by finding out who will be there. Avoid awkward networking moments: check potential contacts out on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and rehearse what you may want to say if you see them. Bring your business or “contact” cards with you and be sure to ask for a follow-up meeting with anyone who could be a great contact for you. Don’t forget to use social media to impress friends, new contacts and recruiters. (Read how to use social media to your advantage in a job search.)

8. This is a great time to authentically reach out to your neglected network.
When is the last time you mailed a note to a friend or contact? Have you switched from mailed cards to quickly typed up email greetings or Facebook notes? While it’s best to touch base with your network throughout the year, now is arguably the time when you can feel comfortable writing a note to someone who hasn’t heard one word from you all year long. Don’t use a holiday greeting card to ask for job contacts, but do use them as opportunities to re-open doors that you haven’t knocked on. For example, “It’s been so long since we connected…I’d love to touch base in person to talk about XYZ.”

If you mail out your cards early enough, you may benefit from looser schedules around the holiday season and land a meeting you wouldn’t otherwise get. If you can finesse a reason for one of your contacts to meet with you, when opportunities come up early in the year, you will be top-of-mind.

 Appeared on AOLjobs.com.

Be in it to win it – job hunting during the holidays

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holidaygift2080895858_0fd6ba8a88_mKarla Porter is Director of Workforce Development and Human Resources for a mid-size metro area economic development agency in PA. (Be sure to click on her name to learn more about Karla. It sounds like she has an awesome job!) In any case, I “met” Karla via Twitter and enjoy her blog, so I was happy that she responded to my invitation to participate in my advice for the holidays series by offering to share this post from her blog:

Last year, on December 23rd,  I called an applicant to invite her for an interview. She cried. She told me I didn’t know what it meant to her to receive my call, the best Christmas present she ever could have gotten. Then I got all choked up…… She thought it was impossible to get an interview during the holidays.

She lost her job 2 months earlier and since then had spent countless hours scouring job boards, employment websites and submitting resumes. Mine was the first call she had received. She was amazed the call had come within minutes of clicking the submit button.

I’m blogging this to let you know to not relinquish your job search because it is a certain season. Employers have year round needs and opportunity. We may take a little time to decorate, eat cookies and take a few days off but we still need to conduct business and meet our goals to accomplish our mission.

If you are unemployed you can’t afford to “take a vacation” from your job search. You must be relentless. Rise each morning as if you are going to work and then go to work on finding opportunity that matches your skills and employment goals.

Treat your job search as a full-time job!

When you find yourself becoming discouraged, remember that when you are depressed and down on yourself it shows and it could impact your interview. Think of your job search for what it is… you are marketing your skills and yourself as a product for prospective employers to lease. That’s right, an employer leases your time and talent! Make yourself as marketable as possible, showcasing your talents. An employer must feel that if they do not hire you they will be losing out.

If you fear rejection think about it this way.. In sales it can take 10 “no’s” to get a “yes.” You might get the yes the first or tenth time you ask for the sale, you can’t predict. Each “no” you get brings you closer to the “yes!” To be effective, you need to be steadfast and approach each potential customer with the same confidence and presentation – because that could be your sale. If you waiver, become doubtful, skip a step or lack thoroughness you could jeopardize the sale.

A job search is no different!

The key to a successful job search is to remain steadfast and remain consistent in your approach.

  • Treat each opportunity as if it will be a a “yes” and know that each “no” will only bring you closer to your new employment.
  • Present yourself to each employment opportunity as if it were the only opportunity. It will keep you sharp and make you work hard to win it.
  • Prepare for each opportunity by researching each company you apply to then target your resume for that particular job. It’s time consuming but it will stand out from the mass template submissions employers receive. Invest the same time and energy in your resume as you would if you were on the job and being paid to create an important presentation or report.
  • If you have anything less than a professional sounding email address create a new account such as [email protected]. Whimsical, cutesy, goth, TMI, sexual in nature, etc., type email addresses are simply inappropriate. After all, at least in my inbox the first thing I see, my first impression of a candidate, is their email address.

The key is to maintain a consistent professional image from A to Z

Keep a spreadsheet for (or jot in a notebook) the positions you have applied to. Include the company, contact, phone number, email address and date submitted.

Follow up with a call or email a few days later to ask if you are being considered a candidate. If the answer is no, ask for feedback on why. Don’t be afraid to ask – It will help you understand employer and industry needs and help you refine and target your search to match your skills. Thank the Recruiter for taking the time to provide you with valuable feedback and ask to be considered in the future for positions that match your qualifications. If a Recruiter has been particularly helpful it can’t hurt to follow up with a brief thank you email or note.

Start answering your phone in a professional way. “Hello, this is Sam” is a good greeting. Answering with “Yeah, who is this?” is less than impressive to a potential employer.

When a potential employer calls understand that is the first step in the interview process. That call is a phone screen. Put a mental “suit” on and conduct yourself professionally as if you were in a face-to-face interview.

If you are invited to interview in person ensure you arrive 10 minutes early. If you are not familiar with the location do a dry run. The day of the interview is not the day to get lost. Use that 10 minutes to psych yourself up for the interview and envision the job offer.

Dress, speak and act like the position you aspire to. One step up from the position you are interviewing for is a good guideline. Put on your best clothing and grammar (without gum in your mouth, of course), hold your head high and pretend you are the leading role in a movie. Be self-conscious of your posture and body language. Try really hard to have good eye contact.

Listen carefully to the interviewer’s instructions and questions. Focus and answer appropriately. Don’t deviate from the questions and do not offer up personal information. Remember it is a job interview and keep your comments to your skills, abilities and talents in regard to the position you are interviewing for. Arrive prepared to discuss examples of your performance, teamwork and people skills at prior places of employment.

Let the interviewer know you have done your research. Ask questions to show you are interested and engaged. If you don’t know what to ask some possibilities are about the number of employees and/or locations, what is a typical day like for a person in the position, examples of employee recognition, etc.

Thank the interviewer and offer a handshake. If you are still interested in the company at the end of the interview tell the interviewer. Something like, “I am very interested in this position, more so now after the interview and meeting you.” Ask for a business card and send a follow-up thank you email as soon as possible.

Be sure to take a look at all the great advice from my colleagues:

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – Take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

Part 5 – Wendy Enelow – Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers

Part 6 – GL Hoffman – Use time to research and prepare

Part 7 – Meghan M. Biro – Use the holidays as a time for self assessment

Part 8 – Craig Fisher – Recruiters don’t ease up during the holidays – neither should you

Part 9 – Ronnie Ann – Take advantage of other peoples’ resolutions

Part 10 – Alison Doyle and Andrea Santiago – Use parties and festive occassions to fuel your job search

Part 11 – Sharlyn Lauby – Take your job search social

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by mysza