Christmas feel like the worst time to be looking for a job!. It’s easy to let things get you down. The whole job market is dead, so you’re not going to find anything now until after the New Year.
The good news is that this just isn’t true. These days, the recruitment market is far less seasonal than you’d think. Employers advertise, interview and hire all year round. It might be the time for giving, but it isn’t the time for giving up!
The “Season of Goodwill”, can however, be difficult to stomach is you have just been made redundant.” You may go through an emotional rollercoaster very similar to that of Grief.
- Shock
- Denial
- Anger
- Acceptance
You may then find yourself with a renewed enthusiasm to change things in your life. The good news is there is a lot of support out there, both on the web and elsewhere, to help you develop your own “Coping Strategy” and then to help you find that next job.
Recruitment Insider has a friend who set up http://www.newlifenetwork.co.uk/ which is jam-packed full of really good advice and tips (too jam-packed actually – but the design and style of the site hides some great content, so do persevere!
There’s lots of other free online resources available, so spend some time on the web searching it out.
The best tip we can give you at Iwant2work.at is treat the job search with the same discipline as any other work-related project. Set aside time each day to conduct your search, or do some related activity. Set yourself objectives and tasks daily, and stick to them. For most people, it’s a numbers game. The more irons in the fire, the more your likelihood of earlier success.
Use all the resources available to you. Find out what government support you qualify for. It is really worth finding out.
Networking – you need to understand that the successful job seeker is a successful self promoter. This does not fall naturally to most British psyches. Our national trait means we often feel uncomfortable selling ourselves. In fact we do the opposite, talking ourselves down, understating our achievements. It’s nicer, more polite.
“Bigging ourselves up?” That’s something Americans do! But we need to get out of our comfort zone and make contact with the people we know and trust.
Make lists. Formally organise your contacts. Create a database or email folders and reach out to them. Keep a note all of these interactions. Treat these like you would a list of client contacts in a Customer Relationship Management system. Use LinkedIn and any other sites you use – they really do work.
If a company has a need to hire, that need doesn’t go away over the festive period, but a lot of job seekers just give up. Don’t be one of them, and keep up your energy over the Christmas break. You have a real opportunity right now to stand out. You might find the best present of all is just around the next corner.
Good luck!