🎉 Should You Holiday From Job Hunting During The Holidays?

Holiday job search do's and don'ts.

Photo by Kevin Dooley

You might vacation, you might have extended family meals and you might have friends hosting house parties. Enjoy them all and keep these five pointers in mind.

1) Don’t actively job search on a holiday weekend

…unless you live in a country that has a holiday weekend every weekend (I’m looking at you, France every May).

A recent study said that many people get their best ideas in the shower because:

1. A lot of dopamine is released in our brains. Triggers like exercising, listening to music, and, yes, taking a warm shower, contribute to increased dopamine flow.
2. We’re relaxed. When we have a relaxed state of mind, we’re more likely to turn attention inwards, able to make insightful connections. 
3. We’re distracted. Distraction gives our brains a break so our subconscious can work on a problem more creatively. 

Those conditions should hold true on holiday weekends too.

Not thinking about your job search during the holidays could be the best thing for your job search after the holidays.

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2) Do enjoy the time away

… from your computer screen, job boards, email, application forms, LinkedIn messages to congratulate other people on their new jobs, cover letters, work portfolios, job fairs, followups, references, background checks, networking events, interview preparations, graphology tests, recruiters, job search blogs (ahem) and everything else related to your next paycheck.

3) Don’t be embarrassed to talk about your job search

Millions of people are dealing with the same issues that you are, and millions more will begin to do so in the coming months. It might be uncomfortable and hard, even, but it’s normal and nothing to be ashamed about.

In fact, most of the adults you see or meet during your holiday weekend will have been through more than one job search of their own and will know what you’re going through.

4) Do be prepared with a good answer to “how’s your job search going?”

Person: How’s your job search going?

Me: Honestly I’m just to the point where I think I’m one rejection email away from eating an entire gallon of ice cream on my own

— Austin Ames (@ARSondag) March 28, 2018

One of the reasons people are ashamed to admit they’re job hunting (during the holidays or at all) is because they don’t have good answers to that question, so when they hem and haw, it sounds like they’re not progressing or even sure what to do next.

That might even be true – it was for me on my first and second job searches – but that doesn’t mean you have to leave a bad impression by showing it outright.

Instead, have a good elevator pitch about what you do best and, if people bring it up, casually reply by asking if they know any companies that need people like you.

Mention your most recent job search success, no matter how small, such as an upcoming job interview or a compliment from a recruiter.

And finally…

5) Do bring business cards

Did you know that job seekers need business cards too?

Have simple but professional business cards that say you consult in your industry or area of expertise, and hand them out to those same questioners. They’ll come away impressed, the right way.

Question of the article

Do you find job hunting during the holidays easier or harder? Tell us in the comments.

READ NEXT: Why Holiday Job Searches Lead To The Best Presents

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