6 Reasons You Should Keep Up Your Job Search During the Holiday Season

6 Reasons You Should Keep Up Your Job Search During the Holiday Season As the holiday season draws in, its easy to get distracted by all the festivities going on around you and your job hunt will often  get placed on the back burner. Its a busy time of the year and its a common misconception that hiring managers wont be making any new hires  over Christmas, however this isnt necessarily true and it could actually be a really good time of the year to rev up your job search a bit. With the new year approaching, not only would a new job make a nice fresh start for you, but employers are also focused on reaching their business goals and would also like the peace of mind that there will be someones sitting behind the desk come January. If youre unsure about whether to continue your job search over Christmas, here are a few reasons that you would be silly not to! 1) Theres less competition A lot of job seekers will put a halt to their job search over the holiday period, due to their busy schedules  or the false impression that companies will not be hiring over Christmas. So if youre looking for a job in a competitive field, now is your time to get one up on your competition, while the number of applicants is down. 2) Business continues Just because a lot of us think of the holiday season as a time to take a bit of a break and slow down, that doesnt mean that business comes to a stand still. Hiring continues regardless of the time of the year and the end of the fourth quarter may even be a particularly busy hiring period, as a lot of companies feel the pressure to finalise any new hires before the new year due to business and financial goals. 3) Christmas parties are networking opportunities The Christmas period is jam packed with social events, from big bashes  to festive dinners, so what better opportunity to get networking? You never know who youre going to meet at one of these dos, so get talking and discuss your job search and career plans with people, as they may be able to point you in the direction of a great opportunity. 4) Prevent a job search rut If you slow down your job search  over the holidays, it could make it difficult to get back into the swing of things once you restart it. By continuing your hunt, youll keep the momentum going and wont miss out on any opportunities that arise during this time. 5) Make the most of the time off If youre already in a job it can be difficult to find the opportunity  to work on your job search, so the Christmas break may actually be your perfect opportunity to dedicate some time to it. If you have any days left to use of your annual leave then make the most of them to update your resume and get some applications sent off. 6) Reconnect with existing contacts The holiday season is a good opportunity to touch base with old networking contacts, recruiters and previous employers to wish them happy holidays, as well as provide them with a little reminder that you exist. Dropping them a line on LinkedIn or arranging a catch up could lead to progress in your job search. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]