December shouldn’t be the death of jobseekers

The false belief that no one hires in December could be stopping many jobseekers finding work.

With the unemployment rate in the UK standing at nearly 2.5 million, many jobseekers will see Christmas as a time to send the interview suit to the dry cleaners and take stock ahead of 2010.

However, this approach may be detrimental to their attempts to get back into the workplace. Recent research has shown that many firms are hiring in December and those who slacken off in their jobseeking efforts miss out on these vacant positions. Although January is the busiest recruitment period, many people placed in January have applied and interviewed for the role in December.

With this in mind, we have prepared a few tips to help those looking for work in December:

  • Create your 2010 CV. Look back over 2009 and what has happened in your career and your area of work. Think about the new skills you have acquired and new experiences that you’ve encountered. Update your CV so you can convert these plus points into selling points on your 2010 CV.

  • Pre-Christmas Push. Companies with positions vacant will often advertise them before the new year in order to get staff on board in this year’s budget, especially if there is any concern about losing positions in next year’s budget. Review all the jobs you have applied to in the last six weeks and follow-up on the status of your application.

  • Search every avenue. There are still plenty of jobs around and many have December deadlines – make sure you use every jobseeking channel available from recruitment agencies to online job boards to personal contacts. Leave no stone unturned.

  • Stay focused. Staying focused even between Christmas and New Year may be your Unique Selling Point (USP) in your job hunt. While others are resting, you can take advantage of the opportunity that less competition presents.

  • Be Creative. If you have interviews before Christmas, think outside the box. For example, find out when the company Christmas party is and if it’s the day before your interview take in some hangover treats like coffee or chocolate, this will ensure that everyone remembers you in a positive way.

If you continue to stay positive and follow these lines then you could well be celebrating a new job for Christmas!