OK so first up, full disclosure – pretty much every blog out there on job hunting at Christmas is posted by a recruitment agency. So, in the interest of transparency, yes, I admit that I am writing this blog because December is a time that traditionally recruiters are quieter. We are trying to push decisions along whilst being faced with an endless stream of out of office emails.
However, this isn’t just about us! There are many advantages to beginning your job search now.
Avoid the January rush.
January is one of the busiest times of year for job seekers, but that doesn’t always mean there are the vacancies to match demand. The number of open vacancies does significantly rise compared with other times of the year, but the “new year, new job” mentality of job seekers sees an exponential surge of CVs come on the market.
In December, roles are advertised, often with a more urgent need to be filled. We see people leave roles early in December to take a longer Christmas break between jobs, a phenomenon that we can also see in the summer, but never at other times of the year. Your CV, freshly updated and uploaded, can sit at the top of hiring managers’ and recruiters’ inboxes.
There is some anecdotal evidence that a few organisations look to use budgets before the end of the year, so roles advertised may have an expedited interview and decision-making process. Whilst this certainly has happened in the sectors we work in, we see more need for replacement hiring in December. Organisations are looking to secure people to hit the ground running in January.
Use the time to plan and research.
If you don’t feel you are quite ready to jump in now, start planning. The end of the year is a good time reflect on the past year’s achievements and think about your career goals for the year ahead. Writing your goals down will help you be laser focused in your search. We recommend you use the time away from your daily work and normal routine to:
List your recent achievements and collate examples and information on what has contributed to your successes.
Establish what you want from your next role, and how your job will help you achieve your own personal goals.
Use social occasions and downtime to reach out to friends and family for advice and use their feedback to work out where you can focus your personal development.
Identify organisations that you would like to work for, and follow their social media channels. How they treat their employees at Christmas is a good indication of their overall commitment to their people.
Update and upload your CV.
It goes without saying that updating your CV is something you need to spend quality time doing. We have several resources on our website to help you with CV writing which you can read here. We recommend that you create several versions so when you start applying, so you have a bank of templates that are easy to tailor to specific roles. You are then in a good position to start sending it out. Depending on the sectors you work in, there are a myriad of generic or niche job boards that allow you to upload your CV to be found. And with fewer people job hunting in December, your CV is more likely to be found!
Similarly, recruiters are receiving fewer calls from job seekers at this time of year. Find a recruitment partner who will offer you a candid view of the current market and the relevant opportunities, and use this relationship to further improve your CV or gain valuable interview preparation.
