Keep Working on Your Job Search During the Holidays

It is important that you keep up your job search, or at least your preparations for your job search, during the holidays.  Otherwise, you might miss out of job openings available right now, and you might not be ready for the usual increase in hiring activity that starts in January of most years.

If you apply for full-time jobs now, you will be among fewer candidates applying for openings, since many others assume that companies are not hiring for full-time workers at this time of year.  Beat everyone else to these new openings.  The computers that review resumes these days do not take off for the holidays.

Also, it takes at least a couple of weeks to really prepare for a job search.  You need to prepare a resume package, including the perfect resume form (which you should modify for each job opening), cover letter, thank you letter and follow-up letter.  You cannot simply modify a resume sample or resume template.  Engage an expert to help you if you want the best resume possible.  It takes time to really think about what your background includes that will help establish your “brand” in this difficult economy.  Even after you have the perfect resume package, it will take hours of work to get your new resume posted on the major job search boards.  Consider hiring an expert who can distribute your resume to many search boards rapidly.

Also remember to get your references in line early.  You need to identify them, contact them to confirm that they will be good references for you and prepare a dossier of your references including all the pertinent information that potential employers will want to see if they get interested in your resume.  You will not have time to prepare your references if you wait until you get an interview callback.

Now is the time to prepare to Dominate Your Job Search_®.