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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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!
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In this career interview, an engineer shares what she has learned thus far in her 10 years in this career. If you have considered a career as an engineer, read on to learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of this woman's experiences. This is a true career interview as told to LatPro.com. This is one of many interviews with individuals in the engineering or manufacturing fields including interviews with a civil engineer and with an efficiency expert.
I am currently an engineer with a local business in my city. I help to design buildings and stores. I have been in this field for about 10 years. Three words to describe myself would be unique, outgoing, and realistic.
Being a white female has been a bit of an obstacle to overcome. Men who I work with sometimes don’t think I have the greatest ideas, but I just have to show them that I can design something that is similar or even better than them. I haven’t really been discriminated against, but I have felt ignored. You have to find people who work in the field as you and then make friends while sticking together.
My job is very simple, really. I look at empty spaces in the city whether it is land or buildings, and I work with a team on the best way to put something else there. People sometimes think that engineers operate machinery, which sometimes they do. But most of my work involves the design process.
Currently, I would rate my job as a seven. I would like to stay busier, but with business not really growing as much as we would like, that is hard to do. I do like the work I have been doing, and the more technology advances, the more options we have with creating buildings.
I would like to take my career to the next level. I would love to own my own company at some point as an engineer.
When I was younger I would always draw pictures. I guess this is how I got started in my career. I liked looking at empty buildings and thinking about what I could put in them so they would not go to waste.
The bigger the city you live in, the more work you will have. There are several places in the city I live in that needs to be redone, so we always have something to think about. However, unless the money is there to get the work done, it’s only a design.
One of the strangest things I have seen is when we were designing a building in downtown. We had to tour the old building, and while we were there, I would bet anything that there were ghosts in the building.
I go to work because I know something I do or design will make a difference. There are places in the city I live that I can look at and say that I helped build that.
One of the challenges I have had of late is the lack of funding for new buildings. If people can’t build, then you can’t get paid.
My job is not that stressful, but you do have longer hours when there is something new to work on. This does mean the money is good, so I try not to complain.
I make about $30,000 a year or more depending on the work I do. The longer you are involved in this line of work, the more money you will make.
I take about two weeks vacation during the year and I have holidays off. This is plenty for me because I like what I do. In school I took the engineering courses and got my Associates degree in Engineering. The more classes you go back to school for, the more money and better jobs there are. I would tell my friend if they are creative, then engineering is the best field for you right now. In five years I would love to own my own business in a larger city.
JustJobs.com is a job search engine that finds job listings from company career pages, other job boards, newspapers and associations. With one search, they help you find the job with your name on it. Read more » articles by this approved business partner | Click here » if you’re a business Female engineer image from Shutterstock
