Job hunting during the holiday season can be frustrating and stressful as a lot of companies are more focused on year end activities than filling open positions. This probably means that you are spending a lot of time filling out applications, but not getting any feedback. It is discouraging (I know I have been there), but stay positive and continue to be diligent as January is statistically the best month to land a job! Just as many companies turn their focus away from job postings during the holiday, so do many job hunters – USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!! You can get a competitive advantage on other job hunters by laying the groundwork for landing that job after the calendar turns to 2024. This means take the time to polish up your resume (you can do this yourself or utilize a resume service), update your linkedIn profile, finish or start a professional certification, and most importantly network, network, network. This can include events from a professional association you are a member of, Christmas parties, volunteer your time with an organization that may benefit your search, and also send out Christmas cards/emails/messages to reconnect with friends and contacts you may have not spoken to in a while. It is helpful to set some goals for meeting or reconnecting with people, especially if you are an introvert (like me!).
Remember – stay positive, patient, and diligent during the holiday. Also take time to take care of yourself and enjoy time with your loved ones and get ready for a successful 2024!