Do Employers Hire During the Holidays?

If you have been told to put your job search on hold during the holidays, you might want to reconsider. For most employers, hiring does not stop during this time of year and savvy job seekers continue their search.

Although retailers are tied to the holiday calendar (ramping up hiring before the holidays), other employers are not and, by continuing your search activities, you are increasing your visibility because the candidate pool is less crowded ( many job seekers take a break during this already-hectic season).

The holiday season can help you increase your visibility. What better time of year is there for social functions? From tree lighting events to open houses, a wide variety of organizations invite the community to festive activities. Carve out some time to attend and connect with people! This time of year is great for networking!

Job boards are a great place to source leads, but a word to the wise, this should not be your only job search method. Research consistently identifies:
… only 2% to 4% of job seekers land jobs using job boards.
… networking as an important job search tool with anywhere from 40% to 80% of job placements attributed to networking!

…Another discovery from research is that the farther away new contacts are from your usual social circles, the more likely they are to help your job hunt! (What Color is Your Parachute, pg. 215).

Determine (or re-examine) your goals. Then, arm yourself with an updated resume, compelling LinkedIn profile, and an engaging elevator pitch (a brief response to “tell me about yourself”). Leverage the holiday season’s networking opportunities and keep your job search on track.

It’s the most wonderful (but hectic) time of the year! By taking the time to attend events, make new connections, and build relationships, you will be increasing your visibility, gaining momentum, and setting yourself up for success!

Need help writing your resume or LinkedIn profile? I’d love to know more about you and the dreams you have for taking your career to the next level. Reach out to start the conversation

All the best in your job search!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://twitter.com/tammyshoup[/author_image] [author_info]Tammy Shoup is a career storyteller and professional resume writer who helps career professionals, thought leaders, rising stars, and high-level executives create branded resumes that demonstrate their unique value, engage their target audience, and give them a competitive edge in their field. She is a multi-certified advanced resume writer with 20 years’ experience writing words that change lives.[/author_info] [/author]