Don't take a holiday from job-hunting

Marcia Heroux Pounds
Sun Sentinel Columnist

Some unemployed workers stop looking for work during the winter holidays, figuring it's futile until January. Instead, job hunters should be angling for openings being posted in the first quarter of the year.

"Don't take a holiday from your job search," Susan Leventhal often reminds her class of job seekers at Broward County's Workforce One. "The seeds are planted for next year." Companies may know there is a merger or acquisition coming in the New Year, or a big contract for which they'll need more employees. Get your resumes to the right people now, she says.

Joan Ciferri, president of David Wood Personnel in South Florida, says it's a "bad idea" to put job search on the back burner because company budgets open up in a new year.

"We're seeing a pickup. Companies that have money, but were afraid to let loose are starting to scout talent. It's encouraging," she says. Ciferri says employers are interviewing job candidates now to fill jobs in January.

Recognize there also will be more competition for jobs as the economy recovers. "People who had jobs, some weren't willing to risk moving. Now candidates are saying, 'I'm really unhappy and I think I'm going to look this year," she says.

Here are some tips for job hunters during the holidays:

Be accessible. "Offer to come in anytime," Ciferri says. Or, volunteer your services for a project or take a contract job to get your foot in the door, Leventhal says.

Socialize. Get out of the house and enjoy holiday parties with family, friends, former colleagues and business networking groups. But remember to ask people what's going on with their employers. "Ask them to make an introduction to someone in their HR department," Ciferri says.

Leventhal recommends asking for advice,or for a resource – such as a networking group someone has found useful or the name of a recruiter. Add those you meet at events to your LinkedIn.com professional networking site connections.

Some job hunters may feel uneasy about bringing up the fact they're looking for work in front of family, friends or business associates during the holidays, but Leventhal tells them to "get over it."

"How can people help you if they don't know you need help?" she says.

Be targeted. Focus on employers, not vacancies, says Rob McGovern, chief executive of online job matching site Jobfox. Make a list of target employers you want to work for and be ready to pounce once jobs are posted.

"Companies don't have their jobs posted now because they don't have the budget to advertise," McGovern says. But those jobs funded by the new budget will automatically start appearing on company websites in January.

Pick 10 to 20 companies to research and track for job openings. Sign up for the employer's career page RSS feed and Twitter profile, as well as checking the company website for job postings. A new job posting will typically appear on an employer's website hours or even days ahead of showing up on major online job sites, he says.

Stress accomplishments. On your resume, make sure your results are highlighted and quantifiable. Instead of "I managed Broward County territory," write "I grew revenue in Broward County 30 percent for three years, which resulted in $3 million in sales," McGovern says.

Employers want to hire a problem solver so stress what you've accomplished rather than what you've done. If your resume says, "responsible for," start over, he says.

Volunteer. If you have extra time during the holidays, volunteer your services for a community organization. It will make you feel good and you likely make good business contacts.

Or, offer to work for an employer on a project or contract basis. That could help you get your foot in the door for a full-time job.

What job hunters should not do during the holidays, or any other time, is focus on the still ailing economy, Leventhal says. "Concentrate on the problem that you have the power to fix," she says.