Footprints and Associations: Job Search Tips for the Holidays.

This post is one in a series of posts by members of the “Career Collective,” a community of job search experts who provide different perspectives on a common theme each month. This month’s theme: the holiday job search!

December is traditionally thought of as the “sleeper season” for job search. Conventional wisdom seems to run that as the days grow shorter, so do the opportunities—and that the holidays postpone hiring plans until after the New Year.

In all actuality, December is a great time to recharge your job search and to strengthen and build connections across your network. Here are three ways to do it:

1. Include your digital “career” footprint in your e-mail signature. Providing others with a link to your LinkedIn or Visual CV signature can lead a “gingerbread” trail back to the web version of your resume. (It’s much sweeter than sending out a resume in your e-mails; if you “tweet,” you can also include your Twitter handle.)
   
   Tip: To create your own customized LinkedInURL, edit your "Public Profile" settings and create your own customized shortcut. If your first and last name are already taken, consider adding location or profession - e.g. NancySpragueNYC or NancySpragueHRDir
   
   
2. Consider joining a professional association by year’s end if you’ve been meaning to do it—and haven’t gotten around to it! It may be tax-deductible. A win-win, considering that local events and larger conferences can facilitate in-person connections and frequently provide job leads.
   
   Tip: You can find directories of Associations by area of interest through the American Society of Association Executives or Weddle's Association Directory
   
   
3. Open up your ears at holiday parties. The more you learn about what other people need, the more you have an awareness of how you can help. And the more you demonstrate your willingness to help and take action when you can, the more likely you are to find it yourself the recipient of such leads when karma springs back again…

Use the following three approaches and you may find yourself under the job search mistletoe, take the additional advice from my colleagues in the Career Collective and I guarantee that you will!

@MartinBuckland, Elite Resumes, "Season's Greetings and your Job Search"

@GayleHoward, The Executive Brand, "It's Christmas: And a ho-ho-ho-hum?"

@KCCareerCoach, Career Chaos, "The Gift Every Laid Off Job Seeker Needs"

@resumeservice, Resume Writing Blog,"Holiday Resume Sparkle: Outshine the New Year Job-Search Mob"

@heathermundell, life@work, "Have a Holly Jolly Job Search"

@sweetcareers, Sweet Careers, Holiday Job Search Tips for College Students 2009

@careersherpa, Hannah Morgan: Career Sherpa, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Cheers

@careerealism, CAREEREALISM.com, Holiday Tip for Job Seekers: 4 Ways to Impress Others with Your Professionalism

@heatherhuhman, HeatherHuhman.com, 4 Tips for Making the Most of Holiday Job Hunting

@LaurieBerenson, Sterling Career Concepts, Three Resolutions to Take It Up a Notch

@KatCareerGal, Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog, Avoiding the Holiday Blues in Your Job Search

@WorkWithIllness, WorkingWithillness.com, Avoid this Minefield: No Holiday Here!

@DawnBugni,The Write Solution, Could that sound really be opportunity? During the Holidays?

@andyinnaples, Shift Your Focus to the Highest Impact Job Search Activities During the Holidays to Leverage Your Time

@erinkennedycprw, Professional Resume Services, How to keep up the Job Hunt during the Holidays

@keppie_careers, Keppie Careers, Four tips for effective networking follow-up for the holidays and the rest of the year

@ValueIntoWords, Career Trend, Navigating the Mistle Toe of Job Search

 

 

@GLHoffman, What Would Dad Say,Merry Christmas! Can I Buy You Coffee to Talk About Me?

@expatcoachmegan, Career By Choice Blog, Expat Networking: Holidays are a Great Time to Nurture and Grow your Network

 

 

Comments

[Megan Fitzgerald, International Career Coach]

Chandlee,

Great points - I do believe that there is much we can do during the the holidays to support our job search.

I like your suggestion of tapping into associations as a resource - always a good idea!

Happy holidays!

Megan

[Career Sherpa]

Chandlee:

Love the gingerbread trail analogy! It is so simple to do- create the LinkedIn URL and VisualCV. You just never know who may be reading/receiving your forwarded email.
Happy Holidays!

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1014962028]

Chandlee,

Great points about the electronic signature line. I think a link to a Google profile is another nice option since it can serve as a hub for all of a person's online profiles.

[MartinBuckland]

Great 3rd approach reflecting the spirit of the season and one that is available year round. A good deed always has the potential to result in a good lead.

[Gayle Howard]

The great thing about points one and three are that they are no cost. I think many jobseekers are concerned about the job search being so expensive; that they have to create expensive websites or buy expensive products. You have just shown no cost examples of how a jobseeker can promote himself/herself without any cost but to great advantage and to wide reaching audiences. (Love your gingerbread trail too!)