December is often a time set apart for holidays and reviewing of budgets and for that reason it’s easy to assume that it is not the best time to look for a new job.
It is important to look for every little opportunity to get your foot in the door. If you are looking for a job, below is a list of reasons why you should continue with your job search this month.
-
Temporary and Seasonal Work is Abundant
There’s a lot of temporary work available during November and December thus it is a good idea to try to find these opportunities. Many companies hire extra help to fill in for workers on vacation or because the holidays are especially busy times for their businesses. Some may be volunteering prospects which might get you the experience you need to land your next big job.
-
Less Competition
A lot of job seekers stop actively looking for work around the holidays as they figure the holidays to be a waste of time and thus make little efforts to search for new positions. You will have less competition for some of the vacancies during this period and this will boost the odds of your application getting noticed and put you at a bigger advantage of landing that job.
-
After Getting Year-end Bonuses, Some People Quit
Companies give big bonuses at the end of the year and as such people may wait until the end of the year, after getting their bonuses, before they leave their jobs. This results in hiring managers rushing to fill those positions. They therefore do that with more urgency and, a lot often, less caution than all the other times of the year.
-
Budgets
A lot of companies have budgets that they need to spend by the end of each year or they end up losing it. As a result, they might hire people in December to prepare for January when their budgets may be a little tighter. It is important to take advantage as it could be the best opportunity in the year.
-
Job Search Momentum
It takes some time to get into the job hunting groove. Tidying up your CV, getting the right job and tailoring your job application towards the job in question can take more time than you’d expect. It also takes a considerable amount of time to get into the job hunting mindset and you need to have plenty of motivation and energy to sustain an active job search. When you job hunt in December, you will have the momentum in January whilst everyone will be trying to get into the groove.
-
Your Determination Will Shine Through
December is a slow month for productivity and it is easy to lose motivation with your job hunt. But if you keep at it during this time, when there’s less distraction, hiring managers may see this as unwavering determination. Your commitment will therefore not go unnoticed and this is one competitive advantage that will fade away in January when the majority of people resume their bearing on the job hunt.
-
Networking Opportunities
The holiday season is filled with holiday parties and events which makes it a perfect time of the year to network to network with old friends and colleagues. This is a great opportunity for you to let others know that you are on the market for a new job. Fellow party-goers may be willing to put you in touch with potential connections. Use this time beneficially and see if something good won’t come out of it.
-
Hiring Managers are in Better Moods
This is a more relaxed and festive time of the year, what with parties, presents bonuses and big vacations to look forward to? This is the best time to catch the hiring manager when they are feeling courteous and charitable than in January when they are feeling hung-over and possibly overdrawn. Use this time to hand in your application as your chances of successfully securing an interview are very high.