Princeton, N.J. (November 18, 2003) - If you are unemployed, now is not the time to take a hiatus from the job hunt, according to CareerJournal.com (www.CareerJournal.com), the executive career site from The Wall Street Journal.
“Contrary to popular opinion, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is one of the best times to find a job,” says Tony Lee, editor in chief of CareerJournal.com.
Many companies look to staff new projects in December so they will be prepared in January. They also look to hire temporary staff, an ideal way for job seekers to get a foot in the door while earning some extra holiday shopping money.
“At this time of year, companies may actually have a financial incentive to hire you because they have money left over and want to get new hires on the books before year’s end,” explains Lee.
Positions often open up as transitioning employees quit their jobs in order to move to new positions that start just after the New Year. And competition is lighter as many job hunters focus on holiday-related activities.
Job-hunting in November and December also may be easier because many hiring managers have a more relaxed attitude during the holiday season and there are more opportunities to network at holiday social events.
“Networking remains the single most effective method of finding a new job, and there’s no better time to network than the holidays,” says Lee.
CareerJournal.com offers these tips for job-hunting over the holidays:
• Make the most of your job hunt by sending out holiday greeting cards that include a search update letter, which is an effective way to thank people who have been helpful and let them know the status of your search.
• Prepare a brief summary of your current situation to share with others at holiday gatherings who may know of a good opportunity.
• Accept every invitation you can, from your neighbor’s open house and your professional organization’s gathering to your child’s holiday concert. Use this time to reconnect with former colleagues, distant relatives, vendors and others who may offer leads for your search.
• Don’t stop your search, even for a couple of weeks, because it often takes longer to get motivated to start looking again.
• Make sure your holiday networking is effective by creating a two-minute summary of your goals.
“Don’t put off your job search until after the holidays. By waiting, you’ll become part of the ‘January glut’ of post-holiday job hunters,” says Lee.
For more job search information and guidance, visit www.CareerJournal.com.
About CareerJournal.com
CareerJournal.com is The Wall Street Journal’s career site targeted to executives, managers and professionals. Featuring more than 2,500 articles on all aspects of job huntinghuntin and career managementmanagment, the site attracts over 500,000 unique visitors monthly. CareerJournal.com features salary data, negotiating tips, popular columns from The Wall Street Journal, and exclusive content from its own dedicated staff. The site was awarded a gold star and named Best Executive Career Site by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine, received Best Site by CareerXRoads in their 2003 Directory.
About Dow Jones & Company
In addition to The Wall Street Journal and its international and online editions, Dow Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; www.dowjones.com) publishes Baron’s and the Far Eastern Economic Review, Dow Jones is co-owner with Reuters Group of Factiva, with Hearst of SmartMoney and with NBC of the CNMBC television operations in Asia and Europe. Dow Jones also provides news contact to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S. |
