This time of year offers special opportunities for job seekers. Holiday networking events, for example, can be great chances to meet professionals you might not encounter otherwise. Additionally, some employers are still eager to fill positions before budgets reset or headcount is finalized in the new year, making it a prime time to stand out with a strategic approach.
Here are five ways you can stand out from the competition this holiday season and find a job before the end of the year.
1. Showcase The Right Skills On Your Resume
Bigstock
When updating your resume, focus on aligning your experience with the specific demands of the industry. Go beyond just listing responsibilities; dig into job descriptions to identify the core skills that consistently appear for your target roles. By tailoring your resume with these keywords, you not only capture the attention of hiring managers but also boost your chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS), which are often programmed to scan for these key terms. It's all about keywords!
During the holiday season, hiring managers are often managing tight timelines and high demands, making it crucial for candidates to demonstrate that they’re ready to hit the ground running. Highlighting industry-relevant skills shows you're not only familiar with the landscape but also equipped to make an immediate impact. Be sure to include examples of how you've leveraged these core strengths in previous roles to support team goals or tackle challenges (aka quantify your work experience). The holidays are hectic, so share with the potential employer how you'll be a positive addition to the team by leveraging your strengths and emphasizing your value as a business-of-one.
2. Dress The Part
Bigstock
Don't underestimate the power of a great first impression. Dress for the interview in professional attire. Even if the job description mentions a casual dress code, such as jeans and a sweatshirt, it’s essential to show respect for the employer by dressing in a way that demonstrates your commitment to making a positive impression. Wearing attire that reflects your professionalism shows you care about how you're perceived and the impression you leave on others.
Not sure what to wear? We recommend dressing conservatively in clothing one level above what the current employees at the company are wearing. You want to look professional, but not like you don't fit in with the workplace culture.
3. Show Your Connection To The Company
Bigstock
Employers like to hire candidates who have a passion for what they do. Why? Because when people are passionate about their work, that enthusiasm often translates into a higher level of commitment, creativity, and productivity. This intrinsic motivation can lead to consistently strong performance and a positive impact on the team and company as a whole.
In your disruptive cover letter (and during your job interview), demonstrate how and why you admire the company. Highlight what you love most about their products and services. Give examples of how you have personally used them in your own life with success. The more you can show them you understand and respect the business, the more likely you'll impress the hiring manager and move forward in the interview process.
4. Demonstrate Your Value
Bigstock
It's important to remember that you're a business-of-one, and you're trying to sell the service you provide as a business-of-one to employers (the customers who will be paying you for the service).
To find a job during the holidays, you must adequately demonstrate your value as a business-of-one and highlight your strengths and the specific benefits you bring as a potential employee throughout the hiring process. How do you do this? Well, make sure to quantify your work experience on your resume. Use numbers to showcase your accomplishments. Clearly state how you'll make or save the company money with your employment. Do this, and you'll easily become one of the top candidates for the position.
5. Express Gratitude
Bigstock
The holidays are busy for everyone. When you're applying for jobs during the holiday season, keep gratitude in mind. This positive mindset not only helps you stay resilient but also shines through in your applications and interviews, leaving a memorable impression on potential employers.
After every job interview, always send a thank-you note. It's just the polite thing to do, and you'll score more points with the hiring manager. Even if you get rejected, or never hear back about a position, make sure you send an email thanking the employer for the opportunity and wish them the best of luck with finding the right job candidate.
Don't be bitter. Be gracious. You never know what will happen in the future. You might want to apply for another job at the company down the line. So, don't let your frustration get the best of you. Remember: If you get rejected, they didn't say, "No, not ever." They just said, "No, not today."
A successful holiday job search depends on a solid strategy. Follow the guidelines above and land a job this holiday season!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
The following article is a continuation of the previous article written on the first three of the six principles to reaching your ultimate career potential.
The Bridge Model is a nonlinear model designed to provide you with key concepts required to reach your ultimate career success. Regardless of what type of career growth you are looking for, these principles are the common factors that will distinguish you as someone worthy and capable of reaching your highest career potential. The first three principles were covered in a previous article. They are Build Your Base, Respond Responsibly and Influence Impeccable. The next three principles are as follows:
4. Distinguish Yourself
The farther you want to take your career and the higher you want to climb, the tougher the competition gets. What are you doing to stand out from the crowd? By doing things such as performing beyond expectations, ensuring you have a strong team working for you who can do the same, and taking unwanted or tough assignments are the types of things that help differentiate you from others. It is doing things out of the ordinary (for example, being successful in a difficult assignment) which demonstrate you have the ambition and history of high performance required to get ahead.
5. Grow Your Skills
Do you know what skills and experiences are needed to advance your career? Hopefully the answer is yes but if not, you should identify these and put an action plan together to ensure you have what it takes as you continue to navigate along your career path. Having a career plan that will guide you along your path is essential. t ensures you keep on track and grow in the appropriate areas. Share your career plan with your leaders or mentors, or key stakeholders to get some input on the areas where you need to develop. As well, it helps keep your stakeholders updated on your aspirations and enables you to enlist their support as you advance. Another key aspect of growing your skills is to develop others. Learn to be a talent developer so you can groom your successor and have a strong viable candidate to replace you when you are ready to move up to the next position.
6. Encourage, Enlighten, Expect
As you continue to chart your own course of career growth, you should encourage and enlighten your key stakeholders on what to expect with regards to your performance. You should also encourage your peers, subordinates and superiors to expect only the best from you. By encouraging them to expect the best, you will most certainly want to deliver the best and this propels your career ahead. You should also practice being transparent and sharing as much information as possible to enlighten those around you about important information occurring in your work area. Individuals who advance into higher-level roles are those who are willing to share information because they know information is power. They want others to be empowered with knowledge so they can perform and do well. If you practice this, you will single yourself out as one who is worthy and capable of continued career advancement.
The six principles of the Bridge Model should be consistently practiced as you continue to advance along your career path. It is a fluid model designed so you can go back and forth between each principle and continue to practice and master these six areas that enable you to reach your ultimate career success.
Read more » articles by this approved expert | Click here » if you’re a career expertPhoto credit: Shutterstock
