Why It's Not So Bad to Look for Work During the Holidays

December 14, 2013

The popular wisdom is that December is the worst month to look for work. Everyone’s mind is on other things, the theory goes, and they have neither the time nor the energy to think about hiring anyone.

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Meredith Lepore at Levo League explains why that’s wrong:

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“Though the holidays doesn’t seem like it would be a great time to rev up your job search, December is actually a great time to apply for jobs. At the end of the year, companies sometimes find room in the budget they didn’t think would be there. People also tend to leave at the end of the year after they have finally received their bonuses so there may be quite a few openings. People taking time off for the holidays may even offer the opportunity for you to work on temporary projects, which could lead to a more permanent position.”

Here are another few reasons why the holidays might actually be a great time to look for a new job:

1. Holiday parties = networking opportunities.

Odds are, at least some of your friends are in the same field as you are, which makes holiday parties a perfect place to make new connections and remind old connections that you’re looking for work.

2. Hiring is about to take off.

“January and February represent the strongest hiring period of the year,” writes Mary Eileen Williams at The Huffington Post. “New projects, initiatives, and budgets are put into place and hiring generally skyrockets at the beginning of the year. Although not every January can promise a boom in the marketplace, by actively networking and positioning yourself as a valuable and enthusiastic candidate, you’ll be well on your way to getting that all important call for an interview at the start of the New Year.”

3. There are just as many job openings as there are in any other month.

That’s right: according to AOL Jobs, recruiters say that they post just as many openings at the end of the year. They also conduct interviews and make offers late in the year.

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