Hiring During the Holidays

Do companies hire during the holiday season?

This is a question I get from clients repeatedly, and my answer is YES! The holiday season is a very busy time for hiring new employees. It is the end of the fourth quarter, and companies want to hit the ground running in the new year. 

According to CNBC, the holidays are the best time for job searching for these three reasons; companies are still actively hiring, less competition, and more opportunities to network with business professionals.   

While others are taking time off to relax and enjoy the holiday season, you could start to get your “job searching tool kit” ready by dusting off your resume, enhancing your LinkedIn Profile, and improving your networking game. Top-performing companies hire on an as need basis, which means if they have a need to fill a position during the holidays, they will fill that need. In some situations, companies are under increased pressure to fill specific positions before the end of the year. This is always a great time to take on a seasonal temporary role with a company you would be interested in working for. It is a great way to get your foot in the door and prove you could be an asset to their company. 

Job searching during the holiday season has some great benefits! Since most companies’ fiscal year ends on December 31st, hiring managers might have a little more money to spend or excess budgets that would create urgent positions to fill. Secondly, a lot of people take time off during this time, so companies tend to have shorter hiring cycles due to tight deadlines. 

What could you do to stay ahead of the game this holiday season?

1. Revise Your Resume

Now is a great time to polish up your resume. You want to make sure you add in any updates like promotions, relevant skills you learned, and projects you have executed. You want to mention buzz and keywords that will entice recruiters to pick up the phone and call you. Remember to list the most relevant experiences, you don’t want to go back 20 years because most likely those skills are no longer relevant in today’s world. If you feel like your skills are not relevant or you are missing you just don’t have them, take a look at LinkedIn Learning to brush up or You Tube. Both are great places to learn and close the skill gap between what the employer is seeking and what you have. 

2. Update Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is going to be a very crucial part of your job search. You want to make sure that your resume and LinkedIn profile are similar, consistency is the name of the game. You could think of your LinkedIn profile as a cover letter. It is an extension of your resume where you could have more personable details such as volunteer experience, training, and certifications for recruiters to see. Furthermore, check your settings to ensure recruiters can see your profile, utilize the max amount of 50 skills, and have a professional headshot. These little things will make a big difference when job searching. 

3. Network, Network, Network

LinkedIn is a great place for job searching and networking. 80% of jobs are found through networking opportunities. During the job search it is more who you know than what you know. Start small, connect with recruiters in the industries and locations you are searching for. Then follow your top companies, see if any alumni, family or friends work at those companies, and reach out to them. Try to have conversations with people, and don’t be afraid to ask those key questions; what does your company look for skill wise? How could I stand out on my resume? Could I use you as a referral? These types of questions will hopefully lead to phone calls by hiring managers. Another great networking tip is to join associations or groups within your industry. They typically will have multiple virtual events for you to engage with recruiters and companies. 

4. Positive and Persistence 

You need to stay persistent during this process, and remember people take off, so don’t feel bad if you want to send an email to ask questions or get an update. It is a great touchpoint, as you don’t know if that recruiter is out of the office or covering for colleagues who are off. Remain positive through this process! It could be long and grueling which leads to burnout. Instead of focusing on the negative, listen to upbeat podcasts, try to network with people at companies you potentially want to work with next year, or volunteer for organizations that you are passionate about.  

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if it is the holiday season, summer, or fall, job searching is tough, and could be somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster. I encourage you to try the tips and tricks listed above, and start pursing that dream job! 

This holiday season I challenge you to break down the barriers, connect with people, indulge in conversations, and stay persistent.