Monday, December 26, 2011

Job Searching Hints for the Holidays

 
While the majority of companies will not do much hiring during the holidays, it is still important that those who are looking for other employment to maintain their job searching efforts.
When the holidays fall on weekends, many companies slow down for the holiday season, but rarely do they ever come to a complete stop.  As a job seeker, you should expect that some employees will be on vacation on during this entire week.  As a job seeker, you should also be aware that many of the those who sit in the chairs at the higher end of the company hierarchy will be taking advantage of the ‘quiet’ time and actually be in their offices cleaning up loose ends or preparing/strategizing for the beginning of the new year.   

If you were one of those who had the opportunity to be interviewed during the last few weeks, but haven’t heard anything since the interview, don’t panic!  It will probably take most offices until the first week of January to get caught up.   If you haven't heard, it doesn't mean you won't be contacted for an interview or given a job offer.

If you are one of those job seekers who is concerned that your applications have been lost in the midst of the holiday season,  the question still remains, “How should you follow up to make sure that your candidacy hasn't been forgotten in the transition to the New Year and the pile of work waiting for hiring managers when they get back to the office?”

ANSWER: Send a follow up note reiterating your interest in the position and offering to provide any further information the hiring manager might need. That way, you can remind the employer that you are interested and available, even though a couple of weeks have passed since the interview.

Do you have any job searching hints for the holodays that you would like to share?

Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca