Although many job seekers tend to take a break during the holidays, this may be a mistake. It is a hectic time of year and you may find it challenging to juggle getting ready for the holidays with your family and friends as well as staying focused and productive in your job search. However, the extra effort may pay many dividends in the early part of the following year.
Why Stay Motivated in Your Job Search Over the Holidays?
The holiday season may be slower for some businesses, which means they’ll have more time to go through the hiring process and it may mean less competition for you. The holiday season is also a great time for networking opportunities as businesses tend to do holiday functions between November and December. This gives you an opportunity to connect with people who can help you with your job search. While a staffing agency like Anodyne often has access to job listings that are not posted elsewhere, you can help your recruiter as you network with people within the businesses. In some cases, the job you get over the holidays can become permanent and even as a new employee, you may end up getting Christmas and New Year’s Day off.
How Can You Stay Motivated to Look for a Job Over the Holidays?
One of the best things you can do is to take a deep breath and remember that while not having a job might be frustrating, it is only a temporary situation. At times it may feel as if being jobless is endless, but it isn’t. Try making a top 10 list of jobs you want to apply for. Set a goal of how many you’ll work on each day and another to land an interview before Christmas.
Prioritize the tasks you’re going to do each day. This may also be one of the best times to reach out to company hiring managers and human resource department as others are not searching for jobs over the holidays. Many hiring managers prefer to hire at the end of the year as it helps their departments begin a new year with employee benefits and compensation packages in order.
You can also stay motivated by creating your own team of people who help to keep you accountable and motivated in your search. Together you can outline a way of rewarding yourself for accomplishing your tasks, getting an interview and when you finally get your job. However, don’t limit yourself to people who are also looking for a job to put on your team. Instead, if you have a great friend or family member who is good at helping to motivate you and who is willing to be your accountability partner, include them too.
And finally, make sure you take care of yourself. Don’t neglect exercise, sleep, and good nutrition. Once you land your dream job interview, you want to walk in looking your best. You need at least 30 minutes of exercise each day and it’s important to get up and walk at least twice every hour for a couple of minutes. You will look your best and feel your best when you get 8 hours of quality sleep each night. You’ll find your motivation levels stay high when you feed your body good nutrition. This means steering clear of processed foods and eating more whole food you cook for yourself at home. This combination not only keeps you healthy but also keeps your mind creative and productive.
Are You Ready to Find Your Next Best Job?
Do not get discouraged by a job search over the holidays as this may very well work in your favor. At any time, we will help support your efforts, look for job openings in our area and help prepare you for your next interview. Contact our professional recruiters today and let’s get started preparing you for a great job next year.