The silly season is the perfect time to polish up your job searching efforts!
The silly season is upon us and for many workplaces and industries that means scrambling to tie off loose ends before the doors close for a long Christmas and New Year break. It generally means too that jobseekers have fewer job opportunities at their fingertips. With the number of jobs to be advertised placed on hold it’s the perfect time to work on your job search package.
The job search package I am referring to includes an insightful, call to action cover letter; a professional, easy to read and informative resume; refined interviewing skills suited to effortlessly manage a wide variety of interview styles; and a pep up of your social media profile. Making sure you look the part with the right styled look can also help you to feel refreshed!
With plenty of people taking a break from work you have ample opportunity to gain feedback on your cover letter and resume. This is particularly so if those around you are in the business of interviewing and hiring staff. Their insight will be invaluable. So don’t be afraid, hand your credentials around and ask others how you can improve them. You may actually find they see qualities in you that are actually missing from your resume! Qualities that an employer simply does not want to overlook.
What you may find too when showing your job application bundle to others is that they ask you what it is that you are looking for in a career. Not a job. A career. If you haven’t considered this before, now is the perfect time to do so. Look back on your achievements for the past twelve months and develop goals for moving forward and achieving what you really want. Having goals will help you to stay focused and motivated. And why not, it is the season for setting new resolutions!
The end of year break is also a great time to review your social media networks and profile. LinkedIn is a popular job networking site, head hunting more and more. If you do not have your profile up-to-date, you may miss a key job opportunity. Job hunting is a competitive business, you need to maximise all opportunities to market yourself. That includes removing the not so professional images of you. Yes, the Christmas break will be full of fun times, but they don’t need to be seen by everyone! Don’t forget too to get connected with industries and influencers related to your field of work. The broader your networks, the better connected you are and the more opportunities you have to be noticed.
Recruiters too will be looking to boost their networks. After the holiday break plenty of jobs find their way onto the market and recruiters need to be able to reach out and locate that perfect candidate quickly. So start connecting and chatting about what you are looking for in a job and the industry that interests you most. If you are not adept at putting together a winning cover letter and resume, then reach out to a recruiter. This is their forte so allow them to help make you shine.
One can easily fall into a slump over the end of year break and lose sight of their employment goals. Yet don’t get caught in the mindset that there is no job on offer over this period. Business still must go on despite the festivities. So keep looking and with plenty to review and touch up, you can remain productive and ready to hit the ground running once the job opportunities are again boosted. Merry Christmas everyone!!!
