Many job searchers are convinced that job searching between Thanksgiving and the middle of January is a waste of time. If you buy into this myth about holiday job searching, you are losing one of the better job searching seasons of the year. During this holiday job searching season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and more. Debunk the common holiday job searching myths.

During the holiday season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and easier access to decision makers who are actually in the office. Fall trade shows are over and holiday vacations have yet to kick in.

You have the opportunity to help people spend their budgets before year end. Hiring managers, with fresh goals for the New Year, are eager to find people who can help them get the jump on goal accomplishment. If nothing else, many organizations interview in December for positions starting at the first of the year.

Holiday Job Searching Tips

If you're ready to drop the seasonal holiday job searching blues, here are several tips that will help your holiday job search.

• Use holiday events for schmoozing with family, friends and acquaintances. You never know who will produce your next job lead. Attend as many events as you can reasonably fit into your calendar. You don't want to be obnoxious about your job search and aggravate friends and relatives.
  
  But, do prepare a brief statement to tell people that you are looking for a job and the kind of job you seek. With the proliferation of events during the holidays, you have lots of opportunities for networking - and one of them may produce a job.


• Send holiday cards with your business card enclosed to hiring managers with whom you've recently interviewed. Send a card to any managers with whom you've completed an informational interview. Send one to well-connected friends, with whom you've recently spoken about your job search, as well.


• Schedule time for and activities in your job search exactly as you would schedule a day at work, if you are unemployed. Employed or unemployed, create a job searching schedule with at least one new item to accomplish every day. Don't get lazy or depressed; keep your spirits up by taking positive action during the entire holiday season.


• Check the classifieds in your target job searching markets from late November through December. Those employers are still conducting their searches, unless they happened upon a "perfect" candidate. Many seek employees who can help propel success in January.


• Continue to check daily at the online job boards; more employers post jobs online than use the classifieds these days. And, don't forget to continue to check company websites if you have selected employers for whom you'd like to work. Job posting online never stops, and some companies advertise perpetually for certain positions.


• Check professional association websites for advertised positions. Participate in the forum if the site hosts questions or conversation. Even during the holidays, some companies are hiring, if only to start the New Year with a fully staffed department.


• Network online at professional sites such as LinkedIn or others that are specific to your profession. Even more personal sites such as Facebook and Twitter offer networking and job posting opportunities for those who are job searchers and establish a presence. Potentially, activity may escalate during the holidays and propel your job search.


• Take seasonal work during the holidays to tide your finances into the New Year. Temporary agencies also see an increase in employer requests as companies struggle to complete annual goals and enable employees to use their vacation time. Retail employment increases significantly during the holiday season and employers hire early, even in October.

Take all of the job searching tips you've gathered throughout your job search and work doubly hard to accomplish them during the holiday job searching season. You won't be sorry.