4 Benefits of Job Hunting During the Holidays

Stacy Dymalski — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:29:52 +0000

Black Friday kicks off in just a few days and if you’re like most people your financial situation falls into one of two camps; A) Your disposal income is still tight, but hey, at least you have a job, or B) It’s almost the end of the year and you still haven’t found a job. If you fall in the latter camp, don’t despair. Landing a job during the holidays isn’t as hard as you might think IF you continue to commit to your search. It’s easy to convince yourself that nobody hires between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but in reality that’s just a myth. In truth, employment in the last quarter of every year always jumps slightly. Why? Well, since you asked let me tell you…

1. Seasonal Work

It’s no surprise that starting the week before Thanksgiving many retail and service industries begin hiring temporary seasonal work, which is what gives the fourth quarter its big employment boost. Chains such as Target and Best Buy, for example, need help everywhere from the stockroom to the sales floor. Plus, catering companies, restaurants, and even florists hire additional wait staff, food prep, and delivery people. And let’s not forget department stores and Salvation Army always need Santas. True, these are not permanent jobs, however, they can lead to long-term work, either with the company that hired you as a temp, or by making contacts through your temp work. (At the very least, it’s extra income over the holidays, and who can argue with that?)

2. Not as Much Competition

Because people have this misconception that companies don’t hire during the holiday season, a lot of would-be new hires give up the job search until after New Year’s Day. Fine. All the better you, who instead of throwing in the towel, redoubles his or her efforts. Don’t get sidetracked by common holiday distractions such as shopping (which you probably can’t afford to do, anyway). Stay focused by devoting a little time everyday (even if it’s just an hour or two) to finding work. If whatever you’ve been doing hasn’t worked, then look for new opportunities that don’t exist any other time of the year, such as…

3. Holiday Parties

Whether you’re employed or not, you’ll undoubtedly be invited to several holiday parties. Instead of being a Grinchy sourpuss who mopes around due to unemployment, put on your best holiday frock and get out there and mingle. Parties are the best way to network and make new business contacts. The environment is non-threatening, everyone’s a little more at ease (especially if they’re drinking, which could NEVER happen in a job interview), and no one has to commit to anything other than having a good time. If possible, convince your employed friends to take you along as a guest to their office holiday parties. The more parties you attend where you hardly know anyone, the better your chances of meeting new business contacts.

4. Use It or Lose It

And finally, if you’re not opposed to consulting work, corporations who use consultants often have to use up their remaining project budgets by the end of the calendar year. If they don’t they run the risk of losing, or getting less, funding for next year. So in an effort to protect their money pots they often hire consultants at the end of the year to burn the last dregs of the project budget. Yes, this is a lot like seasonal temporary work, however, usually you’re in a white-collar environment (like banking, aerospace, or technology development) as opposed to retail sales or wait staff. Plus, you have a much better chance of being hired on as a permanent employee (or as a long-term consultant) if they like you. So don’t pass on the “consultants-only” section of the want ads, jut because you think it can’t sustain you indefinitely. It quit possibly can.

Regardless of how you feel about the holidays, don’t use them as an excuse to quit looking for a job (or a for better job, if you’re currently employed). There are a several job-seeking opportunities that don’t exist any other time of the year. Why let those opportunities go to waste just because you think everyone else is distracted by eggnog and twinkling lights. Because guess what? Turns out they’re not.

10 Things to Do If You Get Laid Off

Marcus Varner — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:03:06 +0000

Okay, so job growth is almost nil, 80,000 jobs were lost in March, the stock market is as erratic as Robin Williams on crack, the cost of gas is set to go up, the cost of grains is on the rise, and conditions are right for inflation to increase significantly. I think it’s time to face the facts and admit we’re in a recession. Of course, this means there is a higher-than-normal chance that you or someone you know could get laid off.

I hope you don’t. I hope I don’t. But just in case you or I do, I thought, “Why not just embrace this whole ‘The economy is going down the toilet’ thing?” You know, getting lemons and making lemonade and all that. That is, after all, the American way, right? (I don’t know. Maybe it’s just the American way for those Greatest Generation guys. We’re more like the Wimpiest, Most Spoiled Generation.)

Anyway, seeing as losing your job can leave you with some free time, I decided to compile a list of things to do to pass the time and maybe even start a whole new journey of enlightenment. It’s not the end of the world, after all. As depressing as getting let go can be, it might just be the catalyst that starts you on a path to the life you were always meant to have but never would have found otherwise:

1. Get another job.

I know, booooooorrring. You have an opportunity here to do something different. But if you’re strapped financially, you might have to go right back into the grind to make ends meet. Poor soul.

2. Travel the world.

If you’ve been putting it off and you’ve got the cash, why not give yourself and your loved ones the world tour you’ve been dreaming of. Learn to cliff dive in Acapulco. Surf the world’s meanest waves in Fiji. Speed down the Autobahn. Dare to eat haggis in Scotland. You’ll come back with a little dysentery but a lot of memories.

3. Create the perfect paper airplane.

For those motivated by inconsequential pursuits, the paper airplane is an old favorite just waiting to be reinvented. There are actual competitions out there with cash prizes. You could probably treat yourself to a hot dog as you clutch your first-place trophy. You could change the lives of third-graders and bored baseball fans everywhere.

4. Adopt a monastic lifestyle.

Can’t pay the bills and don’t feel like going back to Cubicle land? Trade in your professional attire and corporate office for some burlap robes and a life of introspection, serenity, and balance.

5. Start a new career.

Maybe you have some career that you have been putting off, like trout farming, racing, or pretty much any profession in the arts, in favor of a more lucrative, practical career. Being laid off can be a wonderful opportunity to sever ties with your old, stale career and charge headlong into the job you’ve always wanted to do.

6. Try out for a professional sports team.

Thousands out there loved playing sports in high school. Some, although they never made it to the professional level, still have some skills and a desire to show their stuff once more. As long as you’ve got some time on your hands, why not see if you can make it in the big leagues?

The worst thing that could happen: you find out you really weren’t good enough and you have some closure. The best thing that could happen: you get a million-dollar contract, fame, and recognition with a great team doing what you love and you never have to return to less desirable jobs. Think Invincible, The Natural, or The Rookie…

7. Volunteer for humanitarian service.

Now that you’re freed from the workaday world, how about all those good deeds you’ve been too busy to do? Opportunities abound in third-world countries for teaching, construction, and health care. Most international development and humanitarian relief organizations are constantly in need of more helping hands. If you don’t like working with them, why not create you own? You may never go back to filling the Man’s pocketbook.

8. Start your own business.

Almost everyone I’ve met, has an idea for a business they’d like to start sometime down the road. If you just got laid off, guess what? Down the road is here. You don’t have to worry about quitting your day job- that’s been done for you. Why not take your severance and put it into your big idea?

9. Go back to school.

Speaking of career changes, returning to get a degree can be a great way to initiate that change. School is also a great place to hide while the recession storm blows over. You have access to cheap federal student loans, grants, and scholarships to pay your living expenses while you just focus on learning. When the economy has cleared up and the job market is rosy, you will have another degree to put you ahead.

10. Go natural.

If things really get bad and you don’t feel inclined to do any of the above, return to nature. Learn to live off of tree bark, grubs, and tubers. Find a cozy cave somewhere and weave yourself some pants out of blades of grass… please. Yours will be the satisfaction of knowing you have completely escaped the daily grind and are now living in harmony with the earth.

See? Lay-offs aren’t so bad. As they say, “When one door closes, another opens.” Or, I hope at least a window… unless your older brother has jammed the door with a chair or something and nailed the windows shut. But that’s another story…

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