The holidays can be the most wonderful time of year — but they’re also a stressful time. Between shopping, planning parties, visiting family and trying to keep everyone happy, it can be easy to lose sight of one important thing: your job search. But don’t let that happen! The holiday season may slow down hiring in some industries (e.g., manufacturing), but it’s still an excellent time for many companies to hire new staff members or look for seasonal help.
You’re in luck! Indeed, some employers do take advantage of the holidays to offer temporary positions. However, you might think about boosting your job search efforts this time of year. But why? Because the job market slows down during the holidays due to seasonal employment and general holiday festivities.
There’s good news, though: while it’s true that about one in four companies aren’t hiring for seasonal work, others are looking for an extra boost in staff during the holidays, which can mean extra cash for you and your family.
If you’re thinking about applying to a seasonal job this year, here are some tips to help get your foot in the door:
1. Look everywhere you can think of.
Take a look at job postings online. Do you know of any websites or social media groups that are active in your field? If so, join them and use them to find out about openings. You can also check your local newspaper to see if there are any advertised positions that might be right for you.
Ask friends, family and colleagues if they know of any openings in their companies or organizations (especially if they work in the same industry).
Use social media as another resource for finding possible jobs during the holidays and beyond. You can use hashtags like #jobsearch or #employment when tweeting about looking for work on Twitter, posting on Instagram with specific hashtags such as #careergoals or #freelancelife, updating LinkedIn status updates asking “What’s your best career advice?” Be sure not to spam these platforms though—if possible give some thought into what platforms would actually be useful for locating new opportunities instead of just using hashtags blindly!
2. Be open-minded — and flexible.
Be open-minded about the type of work you’re willing to do. You may be used to working in a big city, but if you’re looking for a job during the holidays, don’t rule out jobs that are in smaller towns or even rural areas.
Likewise, if you have worked in an industry that has been slow lately (such as construction), consider expanding your horizons and exploring other industries that might need employees during this busy time.
There are many benefits to being open-minded: it will allow you to explore new options and potentially find something better suited for your skillset; it can lower your stress level by not having as many requirements (like travel distances); and it could give you more flexibility when considering job offers because there are more available positions available than just those located in your town.
3. Make sure to include your availability in your application (and stick to it).
Your availability is crucial in the application process. Make sure that you are honest about your availability, and stick to it. If you say that you can work a certain number of hours, make sure that’s what happens. If something comes up where you cannot work the amount of hours stated on your application, contact the hiring manager immediately so they can re-assign tasks accordingly or find someone else who can fill in for those hours. If there is no room for flexibility in your schedule, then do not apply for this position at all! If a need for flexibility is a concern, you might want to seriously consider remote work. There are variety of companies hiring during the holidays. Remote work tends to be a great option for working mothers and single parents.
4. Think about what skills you have that would translate well into a seasonal position.
The first way you can get work is by looking for jobs in the same industry as what you’re currently doing. This is not only a good way to find a new job, but it also gives you an opportunity to build valuable experience. If your current employer has some openings, consider applying for one of them or even asking if they know anyone else who might be hiring.
Another option is to look for work in an unrelated field; this could help expand your skillset and provide additional insight into the workplace environment from a different perspective. It’s even possible that your experience working at retail may translate well into an office setting!
Finally, if neither of these options seem like viable options for finding holiday employment, consider temporary roles (either part-time or full-time) during December through January—these might include working as a cashier at the mall during Christmas shopping season and participating in seasonal sales events at department stores such as JCPenney or Macy’s.”
It’s a great time to be looking for a job, and we hope that this article has given you some helpful tips on how to get one. Good luck!
We know there are many people looking for jobs right now, so we want to help as much as possible. If you need assistance, feel free to schedule a coaching call with us. We’re here to help.
