How To Sleigh The Job Market This Christmas

With all of the talk of Christmas it can be very easy to neglect your search for jobs over the festive period; after all putting up a Christmas tree is far more entertaining than filling out application forms. However, perseverance in your job hunt over the holiday season can be highly rewarding, giving you an edge over those who give into the festivities and choose to put off their application until the New Year. Here are four ways to make sure you sleigh the job market this Christmas!

Network, Network, Network!

Christmas presents a unique opportunity for job seekers to network with potential employers. Attending events over the festive period can be highly beneficial to job seekers, as these events offer a great chance to introduce yourself to multiple businesses and put your name on the map. It may not result in an immediate hire but will help to ensure your name is included with those under consideration when a role becomes available.

Rework your CV

The festive period is a great time to work on your CV, particularly if you wish to compete in the January job market. Perfecting your CV for a role can take a lot of time and effort. Taking a time-out to rework you CV can have a big impact on your employability, as your attention to detail will no doubt be picked up by employers. This can also help you to gain an advantage over those who choose to wait until January to look at their CV. Reworking your CV before the New Year can save you time and allow you to apply for roles before many of those candidates who have yet to write and edit their CVs. 

Be flexible

When applying for jobs over the festive season it is important to be flexible, in terms of both availability for interview and shifts. Remaining flexible in regards to interview can help raise your prospects. If a company has to jump through hoops to find a time when you are available it can decrease your attractiveness as a potential employee and the chances of being taken on can be vastly reduced. Also, many temporary positions become available at Christmas, particularly in the retail industry, which rely heavily on flexible staff, lack of flexibility will make you unsuitable for many of these positions.

Be proactive

Ultimately, it is essential that you remain proactive throughout the festive season. Many people tend to put a stop to their job search over Christmas, remaining persistent and motivated can go a long way in helping you to stand out. The number of applicants over the festive season tends to fall giving you a great opportunity to get ahead of the competition. Not only will your application be easier to spot amongst lower applicant numbers, your ability to self-motivate will help to impress potential employers.