Don't Put Your Job Search On Hold

If you are currently in the midst of an active job search, you may be tempted to put those activities on hold during the holidays. I would encourage you not to do that. You may need to cut back a bit, just so you have the opportunity to enjoy some time with family and friends, but if you put it away entirely, it may be hard to pick back up after the holidays. Besides, we do not know what will open up with the beginning of a new year.

So, if you are searching, you might use some of your time to catch up on your reading. You should have done some research on potential employers and the industry in which you want to work. If you have not done so, I would encourage you to take some time for reading. You can find information on the Internet in a variety of sources, but I would probably start with a search by industry type or company name. If you have not checked for a website hosted by your potential employer, you should do so. If you can not find that, then look for information based on the particular industry type - you are looking for trends or other hints that may indicate the industry is anticipating growth or at least not preparing for a decline. There may even be names of individuals mentioned that you can link to through your LinkedIn account or other networking activities. Your reading can provide some topics for you to use in your outreach efforts.

It is also a good idea to check for a professional association affiliated with the occupation you are pursuing to see if there is a link to their organization on Twitter. If not the actual occupation, then maybe you can find people who are part of the association who are active on Twitter. You may be able to find a thought leader you can follow and submit some responses to items they post. This can help to expand your visibility. If nothing else, you can search through Twitter just to see who is out there and try to identify someone you want to follow.

If you have been searching for a job for a while, this may be a good time to review your marketing materials. It may be that there are some ways in which you could tweak your resume or basic cover letter to make it more enticing to potential employers. Consider how you are doing in interviews. Do you need to improve the questions you have been asking or the answers you have been giving?

It may be that everything is in order and in tip top shape and you don't feel you need to improve in those areas, then you might just spend some of your regular search time during the holiday season looking for or trying to think of other people you might connect with. This can also be a good time to update your references, etc. on how your search is going and thank them for their support.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think it is a good idea to take "off" the month of December from your job search. Think of some things you could do that would be beneficial so that you will be ready to gear up after the beginning of the year.

Happy Holidays.

Mary Ann Davis, M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, or other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them to find solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.