Don't Slow Your Job Search - Holiday Season Job Hunting

"Don't Slow Your Job SearchDuring the Holiday Season"

By Perri Capell

Question: What advice do you have about how to approach the job market during the holiday season?

Answer: It's a myth that hiring slows down between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Many offers are made during the holiday season as managers try to fill jobs before their budgets expire.

"Not only don't things slow down in December, but there's a sense of urgency to fill jobs in many cases," says Tim Jones, vice president of human resources for Ixia, a communications technology test systems maker based in Calabasas, Calif.

Even though you may have heard otherwise, don't drop out of the market over the holidays. By staying active, you'll have an advantage over candidates who think nothing happens in December and who take a break until January. (CareerJournal.com)

TIPS:
*Hiring happens at this time due to extra need of holiday help...it may be "temporary at first, but it has a good chance of becoming permanent.

*Many Managers may hire at this time b/c if they don't, they'll lose the chance once the budget is gone.

*Networking is easier during this time of year, when people are more friendly and relaxed.

*Although you think it might not be so, employers tend to be around the office, just not on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. Vacation tends to happen NOT around the holiday season.

CONCLUSION:
Get out there, keep looking for a job, networking and pursuing a career, use the holiday season to your advantage. This way you will beat out all of the folks that thought since it was the holidays it wasn't a great time to search for a job!