It’s the holiday season, most employees are off or companies are closed for the holiday, why bother searching for a job right? Wrong!
It’s easy to fall into this idea that the holidays are a time to relax and not worry about your career, be it growing your career or looking for a job. The holidays however are actually a great time to expand your business network and look for new opportunities.
Here are some great ways for you to continue your job search right through the holiday season!
Network, Network, Network
‘Tis the season…for holiday parties – there are corporate parties, get-togethers amongst acquaintances and networking events throughout the city for you to attend. Now is the time to get into the holiday spirit and attend every event you can. Reach out to your network and get invitations to parties your friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances are attending and/or hosting.
The more events you can attend, the more connections you’ll make. As easy as it may seem to saddle up to someone you already know, try to break out of your comfort zone and mingle with people you’ve never met, you can even use your connections to introduce you to new people. You never know, your next career opportunity could come from the party.
Reconnect!
Spend your time off reconnecting with your network. Send a quick email to people you’ve met over the last few months at various events or to recruiters who you’ve interviewed with. You can wish them a happy holiday and mention that you’re open to new opportunities in your field – even if they don’t have an opening they may be able to point you in the direction of someone who does.
For an added personal touch, send a holiday card to the people in your network that you’d like to develop a deeper business relationship with. Who doesn’t like a Holiday card to brighten their day?
Tailor Your Résumé
Treat your résumé like your personal sales brochure – make it catchy, detailed and keep it up to date. The first step is to think about the type of job you are interested in and the industries you’d like to work in. Go back and take a look at some of the jobs you’ve applied for or new postings, you’ll often find trends in the Scope of Work that you can use to tailor your résumé. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” résumé. Every job has specific tasks, deliverables, skill sets and technologies associated with it.
Recruiters want to see that you have the experience required for the position and how your experience is relevant to the job, to the team and to the industry. Think about what you can do for them!
Connect With a Staffing Agency
Staffing agencies, like TAG HR, have a vast network of clients in both the Public and Private sector and have access to thousands of jobs (permanent and contract) in many industries. They are a great resource to help you find your next career move and can help connect you with the right opportunities. Consider getting in touch with a recruiter over the holidays to schedule an interview as the staffing industry gets an influx of new job opportunities in the New Year!
