FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2014
(Centennial, Colorado)
Interview over the holidays? Only if you want an advantage!
Before we discuss what CAN BE a great time to be on the search for a new position let’s first discuss the 3 main reasons people DON’T typically postpone their job search last 6 weeks of the year. 1)They are busy,2) they are busy,3) they are busy! It doesn’t matter if it’s year-end budgets/employee reviews that are piling up or the stress of the thought of 36 of your not-so close relatives coming over for the Holiday feast. (Yes even Uncle Roger will be there this year!)
I get it, we are ALL busy this time of year. That, however, is no reason to slow down on the job search. It is in fact one of the main reasons WHY you SHOULD BE hitting the interview circuit in late November and through December. OK, I know I’m sounding a little contradictory up to this point, but let me shed some light on why Holiday Interviewing will give you a HUGE advantage over your competition:
There simply won’t BE AS MUCH competition, yes, as we discussed above EVERYONE is busy, most can’t possibly fathom the thought of throwing a job search on their plate right now. So think about it, while typically you may be one of dozens of applicants, and maybe one of 5-6 (The ideal number of candidates interview as a local HR friend of mine tells me) “finalists”. This time of year that simply isn’t the case. In addition, asking for a day or two off certainly isn’t as suspicious to your employer around the holidays as it would be any other time. You can stack the odds in your favor if you are willing to put in a little extra effort this time of year!
Let’s quickly talk about what happens AFTER Jan 1st. It’s been said that losing weight and getting a new job are the top two New Year’s Resolutions made across America (Almost always among the top 3 anyway!). Well let’s examine the first one. Have you ever tried to go to your gym in January? It’s a mad house, filled usually with first time novices getting in your way. Where did they all come from? You guessed it-New Year’s resolutions. (Studies also show 75% don’t really have the resolve to hold a resolution. Why is it called a resolution then….wait that’s for another article.
SO the obvious analogy I am making is this: Wait until January and you will be bumping into the same overcrowded issues on the interview trail as you are in the gym. In fact, a CareerBuilder study has shown OVER 75% of the working force is either actively looking or open to looking for something better. So yes- as much as 75% of the workforce will now be competing with you for the same job. I’m not saying you don’t have the interviewing and professional skills to outshine them, but why even put yourself in such a competitive situation when you don’t have to.
By proactively moving your search up a month and a half you have a MUCH MUCH MUCH higher chance of getting that fantastic offer (maybe multiple offers to choose from). And just like any goal you set, you must be diligent about completing task such as sending resumes, tapping into your network and browsing the Internet for job leads. By getting ahead of the curve you can stack the odds in your favor.
Finally, don’t fear that client’s don’t want to hire “until the first”, they have budgets to use up and would much rather prefer having someone IN that seat on the 1st (5th I guess this year) than starting the process on the 1st (which realistically means it will be empty for 2-3 months) so they can get those 2015 initiative off the ground ASAP! Savvy Clients want to grab talent NOW, get in front of them and prove you too are savvy and you just may be surprised how much that helps you.
So, as everyone is thinking I’ll wait till next year, you will have a leg up and possibly already have offer in hand before they even wake up (most likely with a head-ache) to dust off their
resume Jan 1st.
Happy Hunting
– Sean Milius
Sean Milius is President and Chief Executive Office of The HealthCare Initiative, a 40 year old executive search firm serving healthcare leadership and administration level candidates hunt for their next challenge.
