Managing your career is a 24×7 responsibility throughout the year! The Holidays present unique challenges and opportunities for those in their professional careers. So, in this blog I am going to write about some of the unique opportunities the holiday period presents for those who are:
- Working and are determined to improve their career traction
- Out of work and are working hard to land the right opportunity, and
- In transition, either looking for a new job or are getting back in the job market after a hiatus
Improving Career Traction: The following guidelines will be helpful for those who are refocusing on their career:
1. Look for natural opportunities to network throughout the Holidays and reconnect with those with whom you indirectly work
2. Reconnect with those with whom you have lost touch during the past several years. Sending a note, first reminding of your past relationship and then sending an invite on LinkedIn and Facebook work well.
3. Attend office parties and connect with people. Focus more on connecting than on eating and drinking. Show interest in what others are doing and find yourself avenues to explore other opportunities, both within your own company and outside
4. After meeting new people follow-up with an email first and then send an invitation to join your LinkedIn network as appropriate.
5. If someone invites you to a private party, make sure to thank the host with a note of appreciation.
Out of Work: For those out of work, Holidays can bring special challenges. You see everyone around you in good spirits and you wonder about yourself. Do not dwell on that. Despite the merriment, even those with jobs, many suffer from the Holiday blues and are looking forward to putting the Holidays behind and getting back to normal. Despite conventional wisdom, much hiring takes please even during the Holidays. People serious about staffing-up have more time to see candidates for interviews, and decisions get made more quickly. So, in view of this try these tips:
1. Send notes to your working friends and ask them for their advise on how to tap into their company’s job postings ahead of public announcements. Reconnect with those with whom you have lost touch and reach out for help. Do not be bashful about being out of work (even for a long period). Those out of work tend to amplify their plight and hunker down from reaching out to others and from social gatherings. People are in a charitable mood during these Holidays, so impose on them a little; they may surprise you!
2. Try staying away from networking events especially organized for those out of work. They can be downers! People talk about their own plight of being out work and everyone is trying to tell a bigger story of their woes than the next person. Instead, either go to some more uplifting gatherings or just stay home.
3. Review the past year and the period during which you have made efforts to get back into the job market. See if you can identify a pattern that repeats and does not allow you to close on an interview. Learn how to get past it and revitalize your skills.
4. Focus on your dream (the job you want to land, and the company you want to work for) and find avenues to realize that dream. Make a list of different approaches to get what you are after, even though they may look farfetched.
5. Stay positive! Times are tough and there is much competition. By being a martyr you are only hurting your chances of landing a good job!
In Transition: For those in transition, either as a career change or for those who have been out of the job market (maternity, raising kids, new degree) for a few years, this can be a good opportunity to re-enter the job market. The following tips may be useful:
1. Be clear about what you want to go after, rather than just doing more of the same as you did before the hiatus. Just in the past three years the job market has dramatically shifted. So, look at the open jobs critically and evaluate if you want to do something more rewarding and exciting.
2. If you are not sure about the job, try contracting or “temping.” This will allow you to take a closer look at what you thought was interesting without making a long-term commitment.
3. Focus less on salary and title than on the job itself. After being out for a period of time it is best to get some fresh entries on your résumé that can build the career momentum necessary to keep you marketable.
4. Do not jump on the first opportunity you are offered. Manage your campaign so that you have a shot at multiple offers and then take the one that appears most interesting.
5. Being out of work for a long period and getting back into the workforce can be challenging. So, manage this transition carefully.
Holidays can be a period of reflection, action, and renewal. Use this period wisely to bring some happiness back into your life. You deserve it!
Good luck!
Corp-Corp
The holiday is the ideal time to evaluate and reevaluate your professional career. The recruitment process normally recedes during this period only to peak up post holidays. Hence, this is the ideal period when you are required to do your homework and research on how best you can market yourself when the time comes.
Yes, the holidays are the time when you should take time from your busy schedule and enjoy but it is also the time when you can plan your career best. May be this time you need to strike a balance between your career and fun during holidays.