How to propel your job search during the festive period
If you’re in the midst of looking for a new job, or even a whole new career, then in many countries the lead up to Christmas can often feel like a frustratingly slow period. Like an imposed no progress zone between current you and future you. From mid-December, many people and workplaces go somewhat into wind-down mode, with a focus on festivities and a tendency to defer tasks and hiring to the new year.
You might find people are less responsive during these weeks to your requests for informal chats to explore opportunities and build your network. You might be seeing a slowdown in advertised roles or application windows stretching out into the next year.
So, what can you be doing in this time to continue to propel your job search? How can you maximise this festive period and utilise the change of pace to your advantage?
As an experienced career coach, here’s what I’m advising my new job-seeking clients to do during this festive period.
Line up your prospects: Now might not be best time to be hitting up people’s inboxes. But you can be researching and mapping out the organisations of interest to you, and then the people within those organisations that you want to contact early next year. The people doing the type of work you want to do, the hiring managers. Use the festive downtime to get strategic and organised about your future approach.
Prep and polish: assess your job search so far. How have those networking messages been landing – are there tweaks you can make to make them more engaging and up the chance of a response? How are your CVs and application documents looking – are there amendments you can make to better show your suitability and motivation? Had any interviews already – make the time to really reflect on how you can improve your interview performance in the future.
Keep on with in-person connection building (aka networking): whilst it might not be the time for email and cold outreach, be open to who you’re meeting at all those festive parties and family gatherings. If you’re trying to break into a new area, or develop within your current one, tell people. You never know who they might know, or how they might be able to help.
Learn: Knowledge is also power. What can read up on during this time that will show to be informed and motivated about your desired area? Any quick e-learning you can do? Videos you can watch? Webinars you can attend or watch back?
Stay engaged: Not only are employed people winding down… so are many job seekers. So potentially there is less competition for roles advertised in the latter part of December, or other ways you can stand out during this festive period.
Be kind to yourself: what can you do so you come back invigorated and refreshed in the new year? Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, lean into the quieter period it brings in many countries. Relax, reboot and try to come back revived.
There’s lots you can do to stay on track and productive during this time. Before you know it January will roll around, so focus on what you can do now to get yourself in the best possible position for then!