Holiday Job Searches: Don’t Give Up!

When looking for a job, plenty of job hunters feel like throwing in the towel around the holidays. As frozen turkeys disappear from supermarkets and bells begin sounding outside of shops, it seems like the whole world is focused on hunkering down for the holidays—not hiring.

Lots of job seekers lose fuel during the holiday season, and it makes sense. Companies are driving to make numbers before the end of the quarter and the end of the year, and job posting boards often dry up. This is the season to take a break and forget about searching, right?

Not quite. It may seem like the job market slows to a crawl, but those who stay focused on searching will be first in line when the hiring gates reopen in the new year.

Great companies want to hire people with passion who have clear goals as well as the talent and skills to achieve them. If you are looking for a new job and want to stand out, use this time of year to your advantage.

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Try not to blast a million applications into the Internet void. Instead, target specific companies and be clear about exactly what kind of job you want. Write customized cover letters to outline your goals and detail what makes you right for both the company and the position you desire.

If you can impress the person who reads it, you may not hear back immediately, but your name will go in the file for candidates to look at first when something good opens up.

Savvy job seekers can also use this time to reconnect with old contacts. Make an effort to ask friends and colleagues in your network to lunch or coffee. Let them know you’re searching for a job, since often word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a referral to the perfect position.

Finally, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see job postings that match your target position. Apply anyway! The best companies don’t always post job openings because they have enough qualified candidates internally or on file as top qualifiers.

There may not be a posted position yet, but your application could come at the perfect time when a new job opens up.

TSP is always looking for outstanding people who will be enthusiastic team players, and we welcome applications even if there isn’t an open posting at this exact moment. Our company has experienced incredible growth since we opened our doors in 2002, and new opportunities are always expanding to support our business.