Written by: Michelle Schafer, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
At this time of year, I often hear from my career coaching clients “I’m going to park my search until January. It’s getting close to the holidays, and companies aren’t interested in hiring people now”.
The reality: companies are still hiring, job postings are still appearing, interviews are still happening, and LinkedIn is on fire with opportunities. The job market is not taking a break this month! With all this movement in the job market, there are lots of things you can do in these few weeks before holidays and vacations to create some energy in your job search. Here are some ideas to help you take steps forward before the calendar is filled with holiday gatherings, gift giving and family time:
Update and refresh your resume – hold it up against the job postings you are applying for. Does it pass the “checkmark test” (i.e., you show evidence and proof for each requirement outlined in the posting)?
Conduct a self-assessment from your past #interviews – what worked well, and what opportunities are there to strengthen your responses? There are lots of learnings baked into each experience.
Spend a minimum of 15 min each day on LinkedIn – there are lots of job postings in your daily newsfeed – you just need to look for them. It’s also a good opportunity to “like” what your network is talking about, share an article, and congratulate contacts on work anniversaries and career moves.
Reach out and arrange a coffee chat – at this time of year, people tend to not be as busy at work and may have some time for a #networking conversation. And if their schedule is packed, then take the opportunity to arrange a chat for early January. You can start the new year with a roster full of informational interview bookings.
Review your job search strategy – take stock of how much time you are allotting to your search. Do you have a balance of activities? Approximately 80% of your time needs to be invested in relationship-building activities. If you are spending most of your time on the computer looking for jobs online, this is a good time to rebalance.
Take some time for you to relax, and celebrate – Balance and harmony are important when you are looking for work. You want to have a routine where time is carved out each day for job search activities, and you also want to ensure there is time in there for you, to participate in activities that feed your soul.
What else would you add to this list?
Wishing you the happiest of holidays, and a fruitful job search! Cheers to 2023!
Michelle Schafer, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle Schafer is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach and Facilitator specializing in career transition and leadership. She is the owner and founder of Michelle Schafer Coaching, empowering people to achieve career fulfillment. Michelle has personally experienced two significant career transitions through restructuring and has reinvented herself for new careers both times. She deeply understands the physical, emotional and mental impact associated with a job search. Michelle is passionate about people and inspired by their progress, working with clients at all levels of an organization and across sectors including federal and municipal government, high tech, not-for-profit and financial services. Michelle offers coaching 1:1 in groups and recently was certified in the foundations of team coaching with the Global Team Coaching Institute.
