Why looking for a new career over the holidays can be so lucrative

Christmas is coming – so many jobseekers wind down their job search. But in my opinion, you should be winding up your efforts, not winding down. Why?

Less Competition

My inbox goes crazy in November and again from mid-January through to April. Why? Because job seekers become very proactive in November and again from mid-January through to April.
During this period of time, thousands of job seekers become active. People in particular come back from a holiday and have a new year resolution that this time, they are going to make positive changes in their lives, including a new job.

All this positive activity means you face intense competition, as there are more job seekers actively looking. In fact January is always the toughest and most competitive and crowded period of the year!

Compare this to December and beginning of January, and because most job seekers think it is a ‘bad time of the year’, people are putting less effort into their job search, so your competition is substantially less.

Recruiters and Employers are still hiring

Many employers are still recruiting right up until Christmas and again early in the New Year. Jobs are still out there and employers are still recruiting. Many companies want to hit the New Year running, including securing resources and new staff before the Christmas break.

It is the perfect time to network

Christmas is the perfect time to leverage your network as it provides the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues. You know that most jobs come from networking. I can guarantee that you have a group of acquaintances and old pals that you can touch base with and the ‘silly season’ provides you with a perfect excuse to connect and rebuild that relationship. You never know, they might be connected with someone that could potentially help you.

You can leverage online

Professionals tend to down tools on LinkedIn and Twitter, but recruiters and employers are still using tools such as LinkedIn. So while everyone is taking a big break, optimise your LinkedIn profile and raise your online visibility with articles and comments on LinkedIn. By filling up the vacuum of online activity, you will be noticed.

Plan out your job search strategy

The holiday season is a great time to plot your career search campaign for next year. What didn’t work during the year and work out a strategy that will ensure you nail it for the following year.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everyone is in holiday mode – so job hunting is a waste of time. Jobs are still out there and December could be the perfect time of the year to aggressively pursue a new opportunity.