Ask-A-Recruiter: Career To-Do List For The Holidays

Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Is it okay to just take a break from my job search during the holidays? I assume people really aren’t hiring right now anyway.

Holiday time may involve more personal activities and fewer job interviews, but there are still many things you can do right now through early into the new year to keep momentum in your job search strong:

Send holiday cards to professional acquaintances. If networking makes you feel awkward, the holidays are a great reason to reach out to people.

Send New Year cards to people you forget this December. Block out a few hours in the first week of January to review your list for just this reason.

Schedule lunches for specific dates. As you reach out to people, it’s a great time to cement those important relationships with live meetings. But instead of saying, “Let’s get together in January”, offer a specific date and time (“How about January 4 at 1p?) Aim for four confirmed dates in January.

Update your job search log. Make sure that all your important meetings have been recorded. Make sure there aren’t people you still need to follow up with.

Attend trade organization holiday parties. If there are organizations that would be helpful to your search but you haven’t had a chance to join, look for holiday mixers. Volunteer to work as a greeter to minimize your cost to attend and to meet everyone who comes.

Get serious about your career with personalized, 1:1 coaching from SixFigureStart (www.sixfigurestart.com). Caroline Ceniza-Levine, co-founder of SixFigureStart, has recruited for Accenture, Booz Allen, Citigroup, Disney ABC, Oliver Wyman, Time Inc, TV Guide and others.