There are many reasons that people temporarily give up searching for a job during the holidays. Some find that a job search is too difficult to maintain in the face of holiday shopping, parties and family obligations. Others worry that the only jobs available during the holidays are temporary retail positions. Still others find the job search too difficult, since many of the necessary human resource personnel are absent during the holidays, causing delays. However, there are a number of reasons to keep up and even increase your job hunting efforts during the holidays.

1. Competition is reduced during the holidays.

While you may find job hunting inconvenient during the holiday season, remember that your potential competition thinks so too—and many of them won’t bother sending in their resumes. This means that you’ve got a better chance of catching a hiring manager’s attention and landing an interview during the holidays.

2. In many industries, December is a slow season.

While some industries enjoy massive business during the holidays, many others enter a slow season due to vacation schedules and even weather-related delays. During this time, if the hiring manager in question is not on vacation, they may be less busy and easier to get in touch with when you’re following up regarding your resume submission or recent interview. And job applicants that have taken the initiative to maintain contact are much more likely to be considered for the position.

3. Many companies pay down their accounts in December.

For tax reasons, many companies try to spend as much as possible before the end of the year. If they can spend some of their money on payroll for more personnel, this helps them meet their goal, and gives the company an incentive to hire you more quickly than they might during a different time of year.

4. Many people, including hiring managers, like to make a fresh start in January.

For this reason, many hiring managers like to wrap up important business like selecting new hires before the end of the year, so they can start the new year with fresh new employees.

Additionally, many employees tend to choose the holiday season to leave jobs they aren’t satisfied with, because it gives them the opportunity to spend the holidays with their family before moving on to a new position. This means there may be more job openings for you to be considered for during the holiday season.

So how can you take advantage of the holiday season to ramp up your job search? For one thing, it’s important to keep sending out resumes and making follow-up calls, even if your schedule is tight in December.

Second, the holidays afford additional networking opportunities. Holiday parties present a unique venue to meet and greet people who may make hiring decisions, or who know the folks that do. If you’re lucky, you may even have a friend who already works for your dream employer who may be able to bring you to the company party as a guest. You can also send cards to everyone in your network to keep yourself fresh in their minds.

Finally, if you need some work to tide you over until your dream job comes along, plenty of temporary work can be found during the holidays, not just in retail, but also temp positions to cover vacationing employees. If your dream job does not appear in December, a temporary position can provide much-needed income as you welcome in the new year.



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