It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
The holiday party invites are here, and everyone’s spreading good ol’ holiday cheer. And if you’re like many folks out there, your holiday wish list includes finding a new career. But there’s one small problem: no one hires during the holidays. Right?
Wrong! Before you take a hiatus and toss your resume to the North Pole, read on for three ways to get hired during the holidays.
1. Gift Your Way to a New Gig
Don’t put pressure on yourself to be the perfect holiday host, the most generous gift-giver and the best Christmas cake-baker ever. Instead…
Do focus on generously giving of yourself to a few organizations/individuals you’d love to work for. A graceful, genuine and gleeful way to do this is by finding out what their current needs are and filling them — within reason, of course.
For example: Want to snag a pastry chef position at a dreamy hotel downtown? Follow them on Twitter (or work your LinkedIn leads) to find out when they’re hosting their annual holiday party. Once you know the details, reach out to the party coordinator (who’s likely someone in the Human Resources department…bingo!) and offer to provide mini party pastries at no cost.
The key here is to make your genuinely generous offer so delicious they’ll have no choice but to take you up on it. If all goes well, you’ll accomplish two things: you’ll spread good holiday cheer, and you’ll position yourself as a highly qualified professional in the eyes of your dream employer.
2. ’Tis the Season to be Temping
Don’t dismiss temporary or contract positions as a waste of time or assume the only positions available are in retail. Instead…
Do embrace seasonal positions as an opportunity to market yourself and get your foot in the proverbial door. (Tweet this idea.) Once you’re there, here are some ways to parlay your temp gig into a full-blown career:
Connect with your employment agency and direct supervisor about long-term opportunities at the company. (Hint: don’t simply ask for a job; instead, confidently offer to help solve some of their most pressing issues.) Once you confirm there is indeed a long-term need (if your offer to help is persuasive enough, there will always be a need!), cement your interest through action by always being on time, completing each project before deadline and offering to handle additional tasks without being asked.
If you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to occupying permanent space.
3. Holiday Hop to a New Year’s Job
Don’t ditch that elevator pitch just yet! Contrary to popular belief, the holiday season is a great time to make professional connections and line up a new job right before the new year. Why? Because it presents several opportunities for job seekers to mingle with key decision-makers. So…
Do attend as many industry-specific parties as possible. Wondering where to find such events? Start by connecting with professional associations in your industry (i.e., if you’re an architect, see if the American Institute of Architects has a local chapter and find out if it’s hosting a holiday party). Also check in with the alumni association at your alma mater; they’re always happy to help alumni out. Lastly, ask a trusted friend, business associate or family member for recommendations.
Once you’ve found industry parties to attend, follow these steps to achieve networking success:
- Contact the party host/coordinator and inquire about the guest list (in a really polite and respectful manner, of course).
- Once you get a sense of who’s going to be present, make a short list of who you’d like to connect with (i.e., specific decision-makers, hiring managers, movers and shakers in your industry).
- Before each event, practice how to genuinely connect with people in a non-salesy, non-sleazy, non-cheesy way. Roleplay with a trusted friend, mentor or career coach.
- As you holiday hop to each event, don’t forget to trade business cards, when appropriate, with hiring managers, decision-makers and other key players.
- After each holiday hop, follow up, follow up, and follow up! Since many job seekers take a break during the holidays, this little step will position you above the rest. A day or two after each party, send a holiday card or a handwritten note to express how much you enjoyed connecting with the person — and, if you’re feeling bold and brazen, invite them to grab a cup of coffee to connect some more. Doing this will definitely open the door to career opportunities.
While holiday job hunting can certainly feel like a drag, it doesn’t have to. By gifting, temping and/or hopping your way through the holidays, you can land your dream job in half the time.
How can you maximize the holidays for your job search?
Image: Flickr
