It may seem counterintuitive to put your foot on the job-search accelerator between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, but this is exactly the advice I’ve been delivering to clients and job-seekers who attend my workshops for the past few months–*and* for the past decade or more!
A recent News Tribune article, courtesy of CareerManagementAlliance.com, captures some of the key points I recommend:
* It’s a mistake to lose your momentum by taking a break.
* Because so many job-seekers *think* it’s a poor time to hunt, you’ll be competing with far fewer candidates.
* Employers are still at work, and in the quieter time before the holiday, it may be more convenient, and they may have more time to speak with a job seeker.
* A number of organizations will want to be making new hires come the first of the year… you will already be in play, on their radar.
* Many offices limit the time staff can take off, making it a good time to call on an employer.
* Offer to invite the employer/decision maker to coffee for a warm meeting.
* Send holiday notes to thank people who have helped with your professional life this year.
* Send a holiday greeting to establish a warm connection with someone you don’t know…it may just open the door you need.
* Make holiday parties a time to build relationships with people who may be valuable in your network.
* Connect with family, the often forgotten connections in a job search. They have jobs and may know companies in the community that may be on the move or in a transition, and need your talent to fit a particular spot.
* Set regular business hours for your job search, and build in time for fun, to keep your life balanced.
* If you are unemployed for the first time in years, take a little extra time to enjoy family and festivities while devoting those regular hours to job search.
* If you have decided to take a few weeks off from the search entirely at the end of the year, put in place a plan that will allow you to jump out of the gates the first of the year. Then relax.
* Remember that the job search is temporary–a blip in the scheme of things–that will eventually end with a good result. Remain positive!
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
Be inspired. It’s your career. It’s your life.
The Feds reported that the jobless rate increased to 9.8% in November, the highest since April, as the latest data showed employers hiring at a slower pace and the number of long-term unemployed staying about constant. Some speculated that the November numbers didn’t reflect all of the holiday hiring that had been anticipated. Many economists had predicted the addition of nearly 150,000 jobs in November. But the report showed an addition of just 39,000, a sharp decline from the 172,000 jobs created in October. Retailers, factories, construction companies, financial firms, and the government all cut jobs during November.
There were 15.1 million people unemployed in November. Of those, 6.3 million fell in the long-term unemployed category (out of work for 27 weeks or more). Adding those unemployed people to others who are working part-time or underemployed in full-time jobs as well as those who have given up looking for work yields 17% of the labor force in the general category of underemployed (same stat as October).
Another factor reported: There was a record 1.3 million “discouraged” workers in November. These are people not currently looking for work because they believe there are no jobs available to them.
Source: http://fxn.ws/gfmaCS, courtesy CareerManagementAlliance.com “E-Bridge”
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
Be inspired. It’s your career. It’s your life.