This time of year offers special opportunities for job seekers. Holiday networking events, for example, can be great chances to meet professionals you might not encounter otherwise. Additionally, some employers are still eager to fill positions before budgets reset or headcount is finalized in the new year, making it a prime time to stand out with a strategic approach.
Here are five ways you can stand out from the competition this holiday season and find a job before the end of the year.
1. Showcase The Right Skills On Your Resume
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When updating your resume, focus on aligning your experience with the specific demands of the industry. Go beyond just listing responsibilities; dig into job descriptions to identify the core skills that consistently appear for your target roles. By tailoring your resume with these keywords, you not only capture the attention of hiring managers but also boost your chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS), which are often programmed to scan for these key terms. It's all about keywords!
During the holiday season, hiring managers are often managing tight timelines and high demands, making it crucial for candidates to demonstrate that they’re ready to hit the ground running. Highlighting industry-relevant skills shows you're not only familiar with the landscape but also equipped to make an immediate impact. Be sure to include examples of how you've leveraged these core strengths in previous roles to support team goals or tackle challenges (aka quantify your work experience). The holidays are hectic, so share with the potential employer how you'll be a positive addition to the team by leveraging your strengths and emphasizing your value as a business-of-one.
2. Dress The Part
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Don't underestimate the power of a great first impression. Dress for the interview in professional attire. Even if the job description mentions a casual dress code, such as jeans and a sweatshirt, it’s essential to show respect for the employer by dressing in a way that demonstrates your commitment to making a positive impression. Wearing attire that reflects your professionalism shows you care about how you're perceived and the impression you leave on others.
Not sure what to wear? We recommend dressing conservatively in clothing one level above what the current employees at the company are wearing. You want to look professional, but not like you don't fit in with the workplace culture.
3. Show Your Connection To The Company
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Employers like to hire candidates who have a passion for what they do. Why? Because when people are passionate about their work, that enthusiasm often translates into a higher level of commitment, creativity, and productivity. This intrinsic motivation can lead to consistently strong performance and a positive impact on the team and company as a whole.
In your disruptive cover letter (and during your job interview), demonstrate how and why you admire the company. Highlight what you love most about their products and services. Give examples of how you have personally used them in your own life with success. The more you can show them you understand and respect the business, the more likely you'll impress the hiring manager and move forward in the interview process.
4. Demonstrate Your Value
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It's important to remember that you're a business-of-one, and you're trying to sell the service you provide as a business-of-one to employers (the customers who will be paying you for the service).
To find a job during the holidays, you must adequately demonstrate your value as a business-of-one and highlight your strengths and the specific benefits you bring as a potential employee throughout the hiring process. How do you do this? Well, make sure to quantify your work experience on your resume. Use numbers to showcase your accomplishments. Clearly state how you'll make or save the company money with your employment. Do this, and you'll easily become one of the top candidates for the position.
5. Express Gratitude
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The holidays are busy for everyone. When you're applying for jobs during the holiday season, keep gratitude in mind. This positive mindset not only helps you stay resilient but also shines through in your applications and interviews, leaving a memorable impression on potential employers.
After every job interview, always send a thank-you note. It's just the polite thing to do, and you'll score more points with the hiring manager. Even if you get rejected, or never hear back about a position, make sure you send an email thanking the employer for the opportunity and wish them the best of luck with finding the right job candidate.
Don't be bitter. Be gracious. You never know what will happen in the future. You might want to apply for another job at the company down the line. So, don't let your frustration get the best of you. Remember: If you get rejected, they didn't say, "No, not ever." They just said, "No, not today."
A successful holiday job search depends on a solid strategy. Follow the guidelines above and land a job this holiday season!
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It seems the world “focus” comes up a lot lately in the media, e-mails, conversations - basically just about everywhere.
Perhaps it is the Universe’s way of telling me that it is time to pay attention.
Focus, or lack of, seems to be a recurring theme among us Career ADDers. Our thoughts are constantly tripping over themselves, coming at us from all directions and sending conflicting messages.
For those of us with Career ADD, one of the more interesting areas of life are what, where and how we choose to focus our attention. When we are in the “zone,” so to speak, we can focus for perhaps hours and hours on a subject that interests us.
This is a huge clue. We can spend hours and never be distracted. Think of the last time this happened to you, what were you doing?
On the other hand, when we are not in the zone, our mind drifts and all kinds of crazy things can happen that we are not so pleasing, including confusion and perhaps frustration. This, unfortunately, is the state of mind that many of us can stay in for years on the job.
So, it would not be out of the realm of possibility to say that our feelings have a great deal to do with identifying our true career direction.
How do you feel when you use the skills you are using in the job you are in or the one you are currently seeking? Are they skills you want to focus on using 40-50 hour a week?
There is just so much outside information that makes it even more confusing for us – particularly with Career ADD. We are forever comparing ourselves to others who we deem successful.
We are listening to or reading “advice” that we know inside has nothing to do with who we are and will rarely, if ever, lead us to our best and true career direction.
For example, just knowing what we are “good at” (our assets) is not enough. What if we get nauseous or distracted (unfocused) when we know that we have to use a particular skill we are “good at.”
Do you find that you are expected by others to use that skill just because you can do it relatively well? What if you just used that skill for your own benefit instead of someone else’s? I’m a great keyboardist, but do I want to do this for a living?
NO!
However, I love being able to type as fast as I can think when I’m writing an article. Now I can appreciate this skill and how I’m using it. And, of course in all of this my focus is better because I’m having fun.
The key is to identify ONLY the skills you truly love to use, and the capacity in which you love to use them. One of my best and favorite skills is creative problem-solving.
When I am using this skill, it is quite simple for me to get in the zone. Focus is absolutely no problem. I am wide eyed and my intuition kicks in high gear. This is just so much fun!
So if you notice you have a skill you love to use in situations other than work or what you are doing now, the key is to identify one or two work-related situations where you can use this skill. Imagine yourself in the most delicious setting.
I meet some of my clients at my favorite coffee house – one of the settings where I get inspiration. Creative solutions abound in this setting, particularly when sipping on my favorite tea. Offices tend to feel restrictive to me and I don’t naturally do my best work. What is your best setting- the one that inspires you to focus?
If this sounds too ominous, begin by identifying, unabashedly, five skills you love using in any situation before embarking on skills you might use in a job or career.
The solution to lack of focus is to ONLY FOCUS on the skills that make you feel the best to use.
The next step, of course, is where you want to use them and in what capacity. But that is another article.
Start here and please leave your comments below.
Focus career direction image from Shutterstock
