Rev up your job search during Christmas time

By Stephanie on Dec 12, 2011 in Job Search


Many people believe the myth that companies stop hiring during the whirlwind of winter holidays. Although hiring does taper in December, hiring activity never really stops — something to consider if you’re considering ramping up the job hunt in the new year.

This is the time when companies finalize their budgets for the coming year or make last minute cutbacks to improve the year-end bottom line. But, they’ll also know if they’ll be hiring or expanding their employee base in the near future.

The economy and labour market may still be fragile, but many companies may start their talent recruitment campaigns before the recession actually ends as they attempt to secure the best talent before the competition does.

The smart job seeker can take advantage of having an edge over their competitors who have become lax in searching. Here are some job tips for the year-end job seeker.

Beef up your portfolio.
Print and take home personal files on your computer and locate copies of your performance appraisals and other personnel records. At the same time, update your CV with all of the past year’s skills and accomplishments. Make PDFs of any work samples, presentations, published work and research.

Begin immediately.
If the bad news is that most layoffs occur during the last three months of the year, the good news is that the period towards the end of the year is one of the best times to find a job. “Because budget approvals expire at the end of the year, there is a sense of urgency among hiring managers and recruiters,” explains Human Resources expert Lori Kocon. “Yet while HR is usually in full recruiting mode, most people put their job searches on hold during the holidays. The result is it’s more of a candidate’s market.”

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