Your last final exams are right around the corner and semester projects are wrapping up. School is almost over, meaning the “real world” is at your doorstep! The stress of finding a job is probably in full swing, and the fact it’s also the holiday season probably isn’t helping. Despite what many think, hiring doesn’t stop during the holidays, so it is actually a good time to job search! Follow these tips to help you find your first job this holiday season:
Be Flexible
Depending on the industry, the holidays can be an extremely busy time for many organizations. Between that and personal time, many hiring managers are scrambling and may require extra flexibility from job candidates. If you’re called in to interview at an odd time, try to make it work. The more you work around the hiring manager’s schedule, the better impression you will make as a team player.
Use Social Media
Social media is a quick and simple way to connect with hiring managers and other professionals within your industry, so dedicate some time to social media networking this holiday season. Before you do so, make sure you scrub up your profiles and rid them of those party pictures and statuses!
Reach Out to Network
Throughout your college experience, you have created a network of professors, mentors and internship and job supervisors. Spread some holiday cheer by reaching out and reconnecting with your network, thanking them for their support. Also mention you are job searching, because you never know who might have a contact to share with you!
Volunteer
There are many reasons why you should take advantage of the abundant volunteering opportunities during the holidays. Not only will you positively impact others in your community, you can bolster your resume with relevant experience and meet new networking contacts, two things that can greatly help new grads! To make the most of these opportunities, volunteer to head a project that will require your professional skills.
Jobs and opportunities don’t just disappear during the holidays, so while you’re celebrating with friends and family, make sure you’re devoting time and energy to the job search. You never know; you might be ringing in the New Year with your first job!
Do you have a holiday job search tip you would like to share? Please do so in the comment section!