It’s the most wonderful time of the year…. to apply! 

Oddly enough, job hunting over the holidays and New Year isn’t such a terrible idea.  

While often overlooked by many job seekers, being especially active in your job-hunting journey over this time of year, which incorporates many diverse holiday celebrations (December to February), is a perfect opportunity to:  

  1. continue applying for roles, 
  2. refine and improve your application resources, 
  3. make a job-hunting action plan for the new year. 

Benefits of applying from December to February 

  1. People are quitting. The holidays and New Year are a time when many people are exiting their roles. With the need to fill these positions, naturally, there will be a continuous stream of new roles posted, so keep an eye out! 
  2. More time to focus on applying. Typically, the holidays are a time when many people have several days off or take vacation time. With this extra time, it’s smart to manage your available hours to (1) apply to new roles, (2) refine your application materials (e.g., resume), and (3) make and stick to an application action plan (e.g., “I will apply to at least 3 roles per week, with the goal of accepting a new role by February”). 
  3. A new year means new motivation. In the early new year, hiring managers have a new motivation for hiring employees. Not only are workers more focused, but with more people typically back at work as the holidays start to wrap up, recruiters can make the hiring process go much quicker. 
  4. You’ll be ready when hiring momentum picks up. Because hiring tends to pick up in the new year, using the holidays to prepare for applications means you will be more efficient and proactive for acing potential interviews come the new year. 
  5. New budgets. With the new year comes new budgets and organizational objectives. This can typically involve reviewing and addressing labour deficits, meaning you can capitalize on this labour need by applying to these new roles. 

Things to do over the holidays 

  1. Continue to search and apply for new postings. You never know when a new role will be uploaded. So, check online hiring websites, company job posting listings, network with other professionals, and check out any Canadian nonprofit roles at CharityVillage. 
  2. Revise your resume. A resume is never complete. So, keep reviewing it, find any pesky errors or inconsistencies, and have trusted friends and family review it, as it can always be revised. 
  3. Compile your work portfolio. While sometimes taxing, hunting down your work samples (e.g., written budgets, reports, and articles from your current or past role(s)) to include with your application can be very time-consuming. So, use December to tackle this project. 
  4. Update your professional websites and LinkedIn. Often people will create a professional website or a LinkedIn profile and only update it once in a blue moon. So, use this time to update any information, and have it best reflect your current professional identity and ambitions. 
  5. Refresh your interview skills. Use your downtime in December to research and practice how to answer common interview questions. This way, if you are offered an interview, you can better relax before the meeting versus trying to quickly memorize your answers. 

Final thoughts 

Whatever reason led you to look for a new role over the holidays, being proactive in your job-hunt search is key to utilizing this great hiring time of the year to your advantage. 

Therefore, if all you want for the holidays is a new job, make your action –plan, keep revising your applications, and be ready for a new position in 2023!