Job hunting during the holidays
Should you wait until the New Year or should you start now? Here some tips both for employees and employers.
Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, companies are focused on end-of-year activities. So, some people think the holiday season is not a great time to job hunt. They decide to defer their job search activity until after the first of the year. Is that a good idea or not?
If you’re unsure about whether to continue your job search over Christmas, here are a 5 reasons that can help you make your mind!
1) There’s less competition
A lot of job seekers will put a halt to their job search over the holiday period, due to their busy schedules or the false impression that companies will not be hiring over Christmas. So if you’re looking for a job in a competitive field, now is your time to get one up on your competition, while the number of applicants is down.
2)There is always the opportunity
If you stop looking during the next three or four weeks, you may lose out on any number of opportunities. They could pass you by because you aren’t actively looking. Don’t lose your momentum. Keep up the hunt even during a time when it feels like everyone’s attention is on the holidays and the end of the year.
3) Temporary positions may lead to permanent placements.
Some companies hire temporary workers at this time of year. But if you do a great job, they will want to keep you if they can. You may even get a different job from the one you did temporarily. But it will be the result of your willingness to take a temporary position first. And if it isn’t possible for you to stay, you may be able to get a great recommendation. It will be time well spent if you get an introduction to someone in another company that results in a new job.
4) Reconnect with existing contacts
The holiday season is a good opportunity to touch base with old networking contacts, recruiters and previous employers to wish them happy holidays, as well as provide them with a little reminder that you exist. Dropping them a line on LinkedIn or arranging a catch up could lead to progress in your job search.
5)Time to Project hiring plans for 2021
Heads of department within any company will project what their hiring plans will be for Q1 – Q4 well in advance so that the yearly budget for hires can be approved by the Finance Director. Any hard-won hiring budget will need to be utilised at year-end to ensure a similar hiring budget can be secured for the following year.
However, recruitment doesn’t always manage to follow the carefully outlined plans. Some hires may take longer to recruit than others, whilst some candidates hired may end up not being the right fit for the business. This will mean that by the time the end of the year comes around, there can still be plenty of budget left for new hires, and hiring managers on the lookout for fresh talent.
If your company wants to hire remote workers or assign employees overseas. Unless you are prepared for the time and expense of setting up a branch office or subsidiary in the foreign market, you may consider the option of an Employer of Record. Contact us here