How To Keep Your Job Searching Moving Forward Over The Holidays

When you live in Australia it’s easy to think that everything stops in January. Because let’s face it, a lot of us *are* sitting on a beach, living our best lives (or wrangling kids on school holidays) and recovering from a hectic Xmas. So how can you keep your job search going if everyone’s checked out?

Don’t let Xmas ruin your new-job plans

There’s no doubt about it, pretty much everyone used to abandon any recruitment plans they had mid-December, and didn’t return until the Sydney Morning Herald kicked off the year with a bumper jobs section mid-way through January! But that’s changed now and with online job boards accessible 24/7 there’s no need to shut down your new job dreams just because the holidays are coming.

Of course, we still need humans to work through applications (wonderful humans like us!), which is where the holdup happens nowadays, but that doesn’t mean that your job search needs to go on hold and that you can’t make progress just because recruiters and Hiring Managers are talking some off.

If you’re keen to keep the momentum building towards a fabulous new job, here are our tops tips to kickstart the new year:-

1. Ditch Assumptions

Don’t assume people are on holiday and that it’s not worth applying for roles or being proactive in your job search. That’s utter rubbish and will simply slow your search down unnecessarily.

2. Fine Tune Your CV

Even if you’ve already written your CV, take some time to review it and fine-tune the heavyweight details that are critical in a successful job search. Not sure what they are? Read this

3. Network

‘Tis the season to be generous and kind, so make sure you reach out to your network and arrange that coffee/lunch/dinner catchup you’ve been meaning to have for yonks – it could be the start of a conversation that lands you your next dream job!

4. Spruce Up Your LinkedIn

Take the time to update your LinkedIn profile, write a good bio, add a professional headshot, and reach out to potential new connections.

5. Identify Targets

Spend time researching the companies you’d really love to work for and the contacts within those organisations who are most closely aligned with your areas of expertise. Now you have a hit list of people to strike up a conversation with on LinkedIn.

6. Ask

Get out of your comfort zone and ask your network for referrals and introductions. Also, consider where you can help your network out. The more people on your ‘job search team’ the better!

7. Contact Recruiters

Don’t wait until you start seeing fresh new job ads appear online. Reach out to recruiters who recruit in your area/specialty, and get on their radar early. That way you’ll be front and center of mind when the right job comes along and the market ramps up again.

It’s easy to use Xmas and the summer break as an excuse to down tools and put your job search on hold – which is more than fine because we all deserve a break, right! But if you’re keen to keep your search moving forward during the silly season please don’t think it’s going to be a fruitless exercise – there’s plenty that you can be doing to make positive progress and be ahead of the curve in January when everyone else comes back tanned and ready to rock again!

Need help hiring new talent for your team? Or looking to make your next career move? Drop us a line mail@butlerhr.com.au or call 02 4229 9142 – we’d love to hear from you!