December is one of the best months to look for a new job, but so many people choose to not look in December. Between the holidays and vacations, job seekers put off searching for a new job during one of the best times of year to be hired.
Here are some reasons why looking for a job in December is a GREAT option:
Budgets are starting to be redrafted and approved in December, giving managers a great view into 2018. If a new position is opening up in 2018, then they will begin searching for candidates in December with a start date of January. On the other side of that coin, if a manager finds that a position is still open from 2017, they may receive a bonus to hire in that position before December 31st. Both are good reasons to begin submitting your resume NOW.
Going hand-in-hand with budgets, goals are also being created, which means managers may be starting to look for talent in December to help them start to reach their lofty goals starting the ground running in January. Now is the perfect time to reach out to managers and submit your resume, even if they haven’t posted a job yet.
Network through the holidays! There are many networking events going on right now that are chalk-full of people looking to potentially hire for the new year. Attend some of these parties and connect with new and existing business professionals. Make sure you have some business cards ready too!
Reach out to hiring managers and recruiters. Both parties have incentives to fill their quotas by the end of the year. If you are looking for a specific job, starting the process now is a great way to open up the door for 2018. Likewise, if you have had interviews in 2017 with hiring managers and recruiters, but they didn’t have a position for you or you didn’t end up with the job offer, now is a great time to send them an email or LinkedIn message to touch base. Maybe they will have something available now and you will get the first jump at it.
Never lose site that making connections, following up and staying on top of your career is the way to land the job you want. If you are going away in December or have decided to take a break from finding a job, still take the time to polish up your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn page to bring in 2018 ready to go!