Many people assume that the job market slows around the holidays and end of year, but that’s not true. It’s actually a good time to step up your networking and job seeking, so that you position yourself to be the candidate companies turn to when they’re ready to hire.
Think of it like this: Many companies are trying to fill their open requisitions so new employees can start fresh in the new year. Sometimes they need to use up their hiring budget before January. Plus, people tend to be lax on everything during the holidays. People are taking time off to hang out with friends and family. Fewer job seekers are working hard to network, so this gives you the leg up if you dedicate yourself to rubbing elbows with hiring managers. There are plenty of networking events and holiday parties going on, which give you the chance to connect with people from companies where you want to work.
Business is slower for companies, so you’re more likely to get through to the decision maker by phone. You can get more insight about what the company is really looking for in a job candidate (sometimes what the job description doesn’t mention), and you can forge a connection by putting a voice with a name that you only knew via email.
January hiring usually increases a bit, so even if a company isn’t hiring in November or December, you’ll be on your toes by staying up to date on the latest jobs all holiday season long. Your resume will be updated and you’ll know who’s hiring if you continue full-force through the holiday season.
What You Should Be Doing
Make the most of the holidays for networking opportunities. End of the year networking opportunities are abound – from neighborhood get togethers and year-end events for your kids’s school to company holiday parties and holiday networking events. You never know where you might meet your next job connection.
Talking about the holidays is a great way to put people at ease this time of year, whether you’re in a job interview or attending a professional function. Work to build relationships with people, not by announcing your availability and need for a job, but taking an opportunity to get to know them and show a genuine interest in building a relationship. Then follow-up by email or phone occasionally, and when they’re ready to hire, you’ll be top of mind.
You could also send holiday cards to anyone you’ve submitted a resume to or interviewed with recently. Include your business card and a personal note reminding them how you met. Don’t mention anything about the job; stick to holiday wishes.
If you’ve recently graduated or are having trouble getting your foot in the door in your industry of choice, have you considered interning? Interning gives you experience in a variety of areas, and it’s easier to get in a company as an intern than as a full-time employee.
Working as an intern in PR, you can learn how to write press releases, pitch editors and maintain media relationships: all of the skills you will need in a full-time role. You may get invaluable experience in a particular industry that will also make you more marketable.
Having an internship on your resume impresses potential employers and makes you more hireable. It may open the door to a full-time position at the company you intern with if you network with the right people. When my public relations search firm, does get the occasional entry-level positions, our clients almost always ask for a candidate with at least two solid internships under their belt.
Maximize Your Internship
Having an internship is your chance to beef up your resume. Come to the role with ideas of what is it you hope to get out of the internship and seek opportunities to learn. You’re in the position of being able to expand your skillset, getting real world experience, so take advantage of it!
Observe others; you can often learn from other people, not only about how to do a job, but also how to be professional in the workplace, and how to interact with co-workers. If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone who will take you under her wing and teach you what you need to know to succeed.
Where to Find Internships
If you’re in college, check to see if you have a career center that can help you find an internship. Talk to your professors to see if they know of companies who may hire you as an intern. Often the good word from a professor who knows you is enough to get you in, even if you have zero experience.
Many colleges offer recent graduates similar services, so check your alumni network to see if there are any internship sources.
Online, there are several sites that focus on helping you find internships, like USAIntern and About’s Internship Page. If you’re looking for an internship in marketing, PR or social media, try Hoojobs.
Social media offers some inroads to interning as well. Check out hashtags #entrypr, #printern, and #happo on Twitter for internship listings, as well as great advice from PR pros for beginners.
If there’s a specific company you’d love to work for, approach them directly with a pitch on how you’d help them as an intern. Just be sure you can show you competencies because the firm will want the sense that they won’t have to spend a lot of time babysitting you.
According to Heather Huhman, Generation Y Author, Columnist and Mentor,
“In order to determine if an internship program is a good one, look at the following characteristics: mentorship, education, meaningful work, culture, recommendations, and networking opportunities. It shouldn’t matter if you intern at a “big name” company–startups and small businesses provide great experiences, too!”
Things to Know
Internships don’t always pay, so you need to be able to afford to work for free. Not everyone has the flexibility of being able to work without pay, so make sure it’s the right time in your life to do so, or try to find an internship that pays at least minimum wage.
If you’re in college, you may be able to get credit for your internship. Talk to your career center to find out what you need to do to qualify for college credit. You may need some documentation signed by the company who hires you, so arrange for all of that up front.
Your internship should revolve around the types of work you want to do. Unfortunately, some companies take advantage of interns and use them as gophers (“go-pher a cofee for me, go-pher a stapler…”). Set your expectations up front so you know what roles you will be assigned.
Dress up, dress down, a black suit, skirt or pants, hair loose or pulled back….. how you dress for the interview may influence the hiring manager’s decision. See my post on US News & World Report for the tips from industry experts: How to Dress for a Job Interview
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is already approaching! It’s the time of year when we sit back and reflect on our past year and all we have to be thankful for. Losing your job may be a devastating blow. As you contemplate life after getting the pink slip, look at what you have going for you…
Health/Well Being
Unemployment is not a death sentence. It may take some time to find your next position, but you will find it. Stay healthy and be thankful for the good health you and your family enjoy.
Benefits
Losing your job can feel like someone pulled the rug out from under you. Thanks to the signing of the COBRA policy in 1985, all qualifying employers must provide health insurance coverage to those who have lost their job and their immediate families. COBRA allows for up to 18 months of health insurance coverage, which is something you can be thankful for.
Think of the 26 weeks of unemployment benefits you’re receiving as cushion. It might not be a comfy cushion, but having some money coming in is better than none at all.
Take Time for You
Work, Home, Work. Work never ends does it? Employers expect their employees to give 110 percent. Look at your job loss as a vacation from the 60-hour workweeks, tight deadlines, and endless meetings.
You’re out of the rat race. What now? Be grateful for time for yourself. Stay in pajamas. Sleep! Knit. Explore a new hobby. Volunteer. Finish the baby book you started eight years ago…when your child was still a baby!
Spend time with your family and friends. You’ll never get this time back, so enjoy your family while you extra time to do so.
Got time? Finding time to exercise when you were working may not have worked with long commutes, business travel, or overtime. Appreciate that you have time for exercise and fitness.
Gift of Time
When the initial shock of losing your job lessens, look at your life. Did you love your job? Or were you punching a clock? Take stock of what motivates you. Need a career change? Now is the time to explore your options. What is important to you in an employer? Allow yourself time to find the right job. Want to return to school? Be thankful you have time to re-invent yourself.
Hone your skills…beef up your resume, practice your interview skills, take a class. Be glad that you have the opportunity to make yourself more employable.
It Takes a Village
Be thankful for the people in your life who support you through hard times. Being unemployed isn’t easy, but with the emotional support of friends and family, the burden lessens.
Photo courtesy: MTsofar
These days, it’s not uncommon to see people tweeting or blogging about unemployment. In fact, it’s becoming quite the trend. With around 14 million people out of jobs, it’s not surprising that many find comfort in knowing that they are not alone in their hunt for a job.
Quite a few new hashtags and Twitter accounts have popped up by those who want to share the experience of being jobless. While some people are using social media as an outlet for their frustration and complaints, others are turning it to their advantage and landing jobs by posting about their most recent adventures in job hunting.
Sharing experiences about job seeking can be therapeutic in that people have someone who has similar experiences to talk to. Some of the unemployed may not be comfortable talking to their family or friends about what they’re going through, so having a social outlet can be useful and helpful in getting through an emotional swings of unemployment.
What Could Go Wrong?
You do have to be careful when posting about your life as an unemployed person. Remember that potential employers will be searching for information about you and if you have posted something unfavorable, it could cost you the job. Employers use social media sites to get insight into your overall personality – hopefully their investigation leads to finding a well-rounded, interesting person. Unfortunately, many people use it to vent their frustrations, completely unaware of who might view it, sending out the warning signals to any potential employers (including those who might not be hiring, but could recommend you for a position!). Venting too much, posting disparaging remarks about your ex-employer or badmouthing a company that didn’t hire you could make a contact think twice about making contact about an open position.
How People are Using Social Sites to Connect
Twitter and other social media sites are ideal for finding like-minded people in search of a job. TwitJobSearch and TweetDeck have partnered to create JobDeck, a platform that not only finds jobs on Twitter, but also sprinkles in advice for the jobless from recruiters and HR experts.
Profiles like @NJUnemployed and @unemployedsucks offer a gathering place for those united in the search for a job. Facebook has groups where the jobless can meet up with each other and network, as well. LinkedIn Groups like “Unemployed? Get a Job” also provide support and resources for the jobless. All of these networks offer a chance to connect with others in the same boat and can be helpful both in support and advice.
Blogs are also pulling in those without jobs and offering them support and advice. Unemploymentality covers the lifestyles of those without work. Another blog that follows the life of an unemployed woman is Bureaucracy for Breakfast, which covers marketing and news.
Social media is a valuable networking tool. Know how the information in your profile is your shared and how a potential employer could view it. Use it to connect with others, both employed and unemployed, and share your experiences in a positive way. Future employers will appreciate the effort and will see that you are a positive person who makes the effort to get out there, all of which are good qualities in an employee.
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
