From Susan M. Heathfield,
Your Guide to Human Resources.
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Many job searchers are convinced that job searching between Thanksgiving and the middle of January is a waste of time. If you buy into this myth about holiday job searching, you are losing one of the better job searching seasons of the year. During this holiday job search season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and more. Debunk the common holiday job searching myths.

During this holiday season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and easier access to decision makers who are actually in the office. Fall trade shows are over and holiday vacations have yet to kick in.

You have the opportunity to help people spend their budgets before year end. Hiring managers, with fresh goals for the new year, are eager to find people who can help them get the jump on goal accomplishment. If nothing else, many organizations interview in December for positions starting at the first of the year.

Holiday Job Searching Tips

If you're ready to drop the seasonal holiday job searching blues, here are several tips that will help your holiday job search.

• Use holiday events for schmoozing with family, friends and acquaintances. You never know who will produce your next job lead. Attend as many events as you can reasonably fit into your calendar. You don't want to be obnoxious about your job search and aggravate friends and relatives. But, do prepare a brief statement that tells people you are looking for a job and the kind of job you seek.



• Send holiday cards with your business card enclosed to hiring managers with whom you've recently interviewed. Send one to well-connected friends as well.



• Create a job searching schedule with at least one item to accomplish every day. Don't get lazy or depressed; keep your spirits up by taking positive action during the entire holiday season.



• Check the classifieds in your target job searching markets from late November through December. Those employers are still conducting their searches, unless they happened upon a "perfect" candidate. Continue to check the online job boards as well. And, don't forget to check company Web sites if you have selected employers for whom you'd like to work.



• Check professional association websites for advertised positions.



• Take seasonal work during the holidays to tide your finances into the New Year. Temporary agencies also see an increase in employer requests as companies struggle to complete annual goals and enable employees to use their vacation time.

Take all of the job searching tips you've gathered throughout your job search and work doubly hard to accomplish them during the holiday job searching season. You won't be sorry.

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