Yes, employers are hiring, and taking a break now could be a serious mistake.
Finding your next job will not come from an online job board, the classifieds, or even employment agencies—it’s by talking to the people around you. Your network of friends, family members, neighbors and acquaintances is the most valuable job search resource you have.
Have your 30-second commercial ready to go. Not being prepared is one of many mistakes that are made during the holidays. Often job seekers shut down, they let down their guard, and simply fail to seize the last days of the year. Yet, it’s the prime time to network and perfect your 30-second elevator speech.
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Make sure you can pitch yourself effectively, even when you’ve got nothing more than an elevator ride with a potential employer to make your case.
Practice, practice, practice. Don’t be caught off guard. Practice your self-pitch many times before you need it. Focus on impact. Don’t recite your resume. Instead of focusing on years of experience, describe your impact in previous jobs and what you hope to accomplish next.
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Many will take a hiatus from interview preparation and job searching and focus instead on the holidays. This could help give you an edge over others. Companies are hiring. People who are still out there looking have a greater opportunity to stand out.
Networking is nothing more than getting to know people. Whether you realize it or not, you’re already networking every day and everywhere you go. You are networking when you strike up a conversation with the person next to you in line, introduce yourself to other parents at your child’s school, meet a friend of a friend, catch up with a former co-worker, or stop to chat with your neighbor. Everyone you meet can help you move your job search forward.
Tapping the hidden job market may take more planning than searching online, but it’s much more effective. Adopting a networking lifestyle—a lifestyle of connecting and helping others in good times and bad—will help you find the right job, make valuable connections in your chosen field, and stay focused and motivated during your job search.
Networking is the best way to find a job because:
- People do business primarily with people they know and like. Resumes and cover letters alone are often too impersonal to convince employers to hire you.
- Job listings tend to draw piles of applicants, which puts you in intense competition with many others. Networking makes you a recommended member of a much smaller pool.
- The job you want may not be advertised at all. Networking leads to information and job leads, often before a formal job description is created or a job announced.
If you’re nervous about making contact—either because you’re uncomfortable asking for favors or you’re embarrassed about your employment situation—try to keep the following things in mind:
- It feels good to help others. Most people will gladly assist you if they can.
- People like to give advice and be recognized for their expertise.
- Almost everyone knows what it’s like to be out of work or looking for a job. They’ll sympathize with your situation.
- Unemployment can be isolating and stressful. By connecting with others, you’re sure to get some much needed encouragement, fellowship, and moral support.
All the connections in the world won’t help you find a job if no one knows about your situation. Tell them you are looking for a job. Be specific about what kind of work you’re looking for and ask them if they have any information or know anyone in a relevant field. Don’t assume that certain people won’t be able to help. You may be surprised by who they know.
Figure out what you want before you start networking
Networking is most effective when you have specific employer targets and career goals. It’s hard to get leads with a generic “Let me know if you hear of anything” request. You may think that you’ll have better job luck if you leave yourself open to all the possibilities, but the reality is this “openness” creates a black hole that sucks all of the networking potential out of the connection.
A generic networking request for a job is worse than no request at all, because you can lose that networking contact and opportunity. Asking for specific information, leads, or an interview is much more focused and easier for the networking source. If you’re having trouble focusing your job search, you can turn to close friends and family members for help, but avoid contacting more distant people in your network until you’ve set clear goals.
Networking is a give-and-take process that involves making connections, sharing information, and asking questions. It’s a way of relating to others, not a technique for getting a job or a favor. You don’t have to hand out your business cards at the neighborhood holiday party, the gym or even on Christmas Eve with your family. All you have to do is reach out.
- Be authentic. Be you—the real you—that should be your goal. Hiding who you are or suppressing your true interests and goals will only hurt you in the long run. Pursuing what you want and not what you think others will like, will always be more fulfilling and ultimately more successful.
- Be considerate. If you’re reconnecting with an old friend or colleague, take the time to get through the catching-up phase before you blurt out your need. On the other hand, if this person is a busy professional you don’t know well, be respectful of his or her time and come straight out with your request.
- Ask for advice, not a job. Don’t ask for a job, a request comes with a lot of pressure. You want your contacts to become allies in your job search, not make them feel ambushed, so ask for information or insight instead. If they’re able to hire you or refer you to someone who can, they will. If not, you haven’t put them in the uncomfortable position of turning you down or telling you they can’t help.
- Be specific in your request. Before you go off and reconnect with everyone you’ve ever known, get your act together and do a little homework. Be prepared to articulate what you’re looking for. Is it a reference? An insider’s take on the industry? A referral? An introduction to someone in the field? Also make sure to provide an update on your qualifications and recent professional experience.
Don’t be a hit-and-run networker: connecting, getting what you want, and then disappearing, never to be heard from until the next time you need something. Invest in your network by following up and providing feedback to those who were kind of enough to offer their help. Thank them for their referral and assistance. Let them know whether you got the interview or the job. Or use the opportunity to report on the lack of success or the need for additional help.
Always remember that successful networking is a two-way street. Your ultimate goal is to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships. That means giving as well as receiving. Send a thank-you note, ask them about their family, email an article you think they might be interested in, and check in periodically to see how they’re doing. By nurturing the relationship through your job search and beyond, you’ll establish a strong network of people you can count on for ideas, advice, feedback, and support.
It’s going to be a challenging holiday season for a lot of folks out there. So you know what? Spread some cheer, make others feel happy.