5 Ways to Boost Your Job Search During the Holidays
The job market doesn’t take the holidays off and neither should you. 
While your competition is busy sipping eggnog, take advantage of this opportunity to move your job search efforts ahead. Follow the five strategies below this season to get a head start on your search for the New Year.
Make A List...And Check It Twice!
There are only so many hours in the day, and chances are you’ll have your hands extra full with holiday preparations. Take a look at your calendar now and prioritize your activities. When and where can you invest in your job search? What holiday happenings can serve double-duty as job-search activities?
Be Merry
Your attitude can make or break your job-search efforts. Remember, companies are still hiring – in fact, many recruiters are under pressure to fill roles before the end of the year. Push away any thoughts of gloom and exude a confident state-of-mind, both online and offline, to move your job search in the right direction.
Send Season’s Greetings
Use the holidays as an excuse to reengage with your rolodex of contacts. Send your well wishes in a holiday card or email and invite key contacts out for a cup of hot cider to catch up. Send season’s greetings to recruiters you’ve worked with and employers you’ve interviewed with in the past to update them on your most recent job-search activities and reiterate your interest in working with them in the future.
Turn Events Into Opportunities
Tis the season for holiday parties, open houses, family get-togethers…and networking! Check your industry’s trade associations for holiday mixers and attend parties hosted by your friends and family. Before each event, think about how you will modify your elevator pitch to suit the audience and occasion. Will they understand your industry’s jargon, or do you need to discuss your potential value and job goals in broader strokes?
Treat Yourself
Capitalize on holiday sales to update your job-search tools. These could include anything from your interview and networking outfits, to a new briefcase or portfolio, to a professionally written resume or a set of business cards. Is your family nagging you for gift ideas? Scope out the stores and ask for specific items or gift cards to boost your job-search efforts.
Try incorporating these strategies into your plans over the next few weeks and you’ll have a head start on the New Year’s resolutionists. Click on the following link for more information about job seeking during the holidays.
Amanda Augustine is the Job Search Expert for TheLadders, the online job-matching service for career-driven professionals. She is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) who provides job search and career guidance for professionals looking to make their next career move. Have a question for Amanda? Submit your question here for a chance to have it answered in her weekly column, and be sure to follow @JobSearchAmanda on Twitter and "Like” her on Facebook for up-to-the-minute job-search advice.