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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Whether you’re a new college grad just entering the workforce and looking for media jobs, or a seasoned professional who finds yourself back in job hunting mode for the first time in a long time, you’re probably a bit intimidated at the prospect of sitting for an interview with a prospective employer. Honestly, even those who have recently been through numerous interviews are rattled by each and every one, at least to some degree.
Interviewing, after all, is a stressful process. There’s a lot riding on your performance during that interview, after all.
There are ways of honing your skills and the primary method for becoming more competent in interviewing is through practice or mock interview sessions. A mock interview is, simply put, a practice run that mimics the real life interview process as closely as possible. By going through several such practice session, you will become more confident and capable of making a strong positive impression when it comes time for the real deal.
Wrangle a Mock Interviewer
While it’s entirely possible for you to run through potential interview scenarios in your own head – which you’re likely doing anyway while you stew over how intimidating the interview process may be – the most effective means of practicing for an interview is to actually have a friend or family member play the role of interviewer.
If you can wrangle someone into being the mock interviewer, you’ll have the opportunity to run through question and answer practice sessions. This provides you the chance to refine your answers, practice speaking clearly and delivering clear and comprehensive responses, and to master the non-verbal communication aspects of interviewing for fulltime jobs and partime jobs as well. The manner in which you conduct yourself during an interview is as important as the answers you deliver to an employer’s questions.
Stage Your Practice Sessions Effectively
Best methods for productive mock interviews require that you mimic the real work interview situation as closely as possible. This means you should dress the part for at least some of your practice sessions, in order to get more comfortable in your suit or other business attire. Wear the outfit you plan to wear to the interview so you can ensure its comfortable, fits properly and doesn’t cause you to fidget or feel self-conscious.
You should also sit at a table, with the mock interviewer across from you. Practice making appropriate eye contact while interviewing. Pay attention to how you sit in your chair – square your shoulders, don’t slump, and don’t move around too much in your seat. Keep your hands in your lap or on the table, only using conservative hand gestures in appropriate places in your conversation for providing emphasis to verbal responses.
Try to avoid falling out of character during the practice session. This means both you and the mock interviewer that you’re wrangled into helping must maintain the professional manner and demeanor throughout the entire session. Save any and all discussion of performance, behaviors or other details for after the mock interview is complete, whether you’re interviewing for sales jobs or any other variety of positions.
Ask the interviewer to take notes during the session on areas of potential improvement they see or hear. This will not only help you better your interviewing skills during future practice sessions , but will also let you get used to the way it feels to have someone taking notes while you’re speaking , which is something that will occur during a real interview for a social worker position or any other job.
If possible, you should consider video recording some, if not all, of your practice sessions. You may be a bit self-conscious with the process, but it can help you learn how to control your facial expressions, posture, hand gestures, and other forms of non-verbal communication which all play a role in interview performance and the perception of a candidate by a prospective employer.
Get All Your Facts Straight
Mock interviews give you the chance to practice discussing the details of your own resume, work history, demonstrated skills and competencies, as well as the opportunity to promote yourself in a positive manner. Take advantage of the sessions to ensure you have all your facts straight and in your head about your past positions in fulltime jobs or partime jobs and job duties and responsibilities, no matter if you’re interviewing for administrative assistant, sales jobs, engineer jobs, or even social worker jobs. While it’s fine to occasionally reference a copy of your resume during an interview, doing so too often can make it appear as though the information contained within that document is fabricated or exaggerated.
Do Your Research
In your search for jobs, you’ll also be looking into the background, work environment and reputation of prospective employers, or at least you should be! After all, you’re considering them to see if they’re a good fit for you as much as they will be doing so with you if you’re called in for an interview. When you find media jobs of interest to you, take into account the postings and the employers and compose some relevant mock interview questions from that information. Ask your interviewer to read questions from that script during your practice sessions.
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