14 Dec Making Spirits Bright: Job Hunting During the Holidays
It’s a common belief that hiring slows, or even stops, during the holiday season. As a result, many of those who have been dutifully networking, applying and interviewing, shelve their efforts to resume in the new year. Job hunting during the holidays might seem like a waste of time. It’s not – maybe Santa can’t gift wrap a new opportunity, but that doesn’t mean you should stop looking.
Things to consider when job hunting during the holidays:
Hurry up. You may find that employers who are looking at this time of year are doing so because they simply can’t wait until the new year. They needed someone yesterday and the sooner the better. So be aware that you might be in the (enviable) position of having to prepare to start soon if you do get the job.
Or, worth the wait. On the other hand, some things are impacted in the hiring process by the fact that it’s the holiday season, and it might slow down an eventual offer. For one, people start taking vacation time, making interviewing schedules trickier, and getting the decision makers together more difficult.
For companies who are seasonal, if this is the busy time of year, they may simply not allot as much time or resources to hiring in order to focus on sales. Finally, some companies may still be finalizing next year’s budget, and unable to commit to a job or a specific salary until they are sure they have the funds.
Keep spirits bright. The other reality is that with applications and interviews comes hope, and if an employer decides to pass, comes the rejection and deflation. No one loves finding out they aren’t going to get a job they wanted.
You need to be sure you can handle this situation the same time you’re socializing with friends and family. Can you bake Christmas cookies with the kids while turning over that last interview in your mind? Will you be able to be cheery at your neighbors’ holiday party when they ask how your job search is going?
You do need to be aware of your limits. It can be hard to stay motivated at any time of year, but particularly when there’s so much pressure to be upbeat.
Job hunting during the holidays is worth the work.
For one, the mere fact that people think it’s not a time to job search reduces some of the competition. Plus, you keep up the momentum of your search, and don’t have to force yourself to reboot after the new year (you’ll have enough holiday habits to break already).
And best, if all goes well you could give yourself the best present of all – even if it didn’t fit under the tree. A new job makes for a very merry season and a spectacularly happy new year.
