Find a Promising Business Career over the Holidays

business careers

Finding business careers doesn’t just depend on scanning the classifieds for suitable openings. About 90 percent of business jobs don’t get advertised, but job seekers can find ideal positions by getting through three crucial gateways: impressing a hiring manager with a resume, nailing the interview and removing any barriers to hiring.

Many people write off the holidays when looking for career changes, but holiday celebrations result in fewer candidates competing for plum positions. Take time to interact socially, update documentation and establish availability to move up on hiring short-lists during the holiday season.


Flexibility impresses hiring managers who often want to start new hires at the first of the new year. Showing a willingness to interview and commit to change during the hectic period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day to increase chances and impress decision-makers.

Interact Socially for Permanent Branding Benefits

Advancement in business careers frequently occurs from maintaining a permanent career campaign. Cultivating social media footprints, authoring intelligent blogs and responding to business posts helps people control online information about their personal history. If senior executives can’t find any online presence, they might suspect that resume information is exaggerated or false. Take time during the holidays to build a personal brand with the following actions:

  • Tweet, blog and post a steady stream of content to demonstrate expertise and cultivate relationships.
  • Network at holiday gatherings, conferences and symposiums to establish new connections and turn older relationships into opportunities.
  • Update profiles on social and professional platforms such as LinkedIn, trade organizations and other media forums.
  • Run searches on past business associates who have fallen out-of-touch because they might prove amenable to getting reacquainted professionally.
  • Send holiday cards to contacts, previous employers and organizations that have received resumes.

Update Resumes and Documents

Keep a network of contacts, research their interests, send personal emails and set search engine alerts to stay on top of companies’ activities and decision-makers’ radar. The following activities can provide unexpected benefits:

  1. Print Professional Business Cards
    Simple and effective, old-fashioned business cards are perfect for sharing during casual holiday encounters.
  2. Update Resume
    Design different versions of a resume that are email-friendly, graphically compelling and suitable for testing the waters without committing to change. Make sure that all skills and accomplishments are included and that the resume is well-written and polished.
  3. Prepare Cover Letters
    Prepare cover letters for various business careers that showcase those specific skills most likely to impress harried managers looking to fill positions for the new year.
  4. Don’t Delay
    Employers are hiring, and there may be less competition from other job seekers. Companies that budget on an annual basis want to hire for business jobs that begin in January. Don’t lose out because of holiday celebrations.

Follow-up Even Casual Referrals

Accept all invitations to social and professional events. Have the materials ready for when opportunities occur, and follow-up even the most casual referral with a professional, courteous note. Make sure that business contacts can find plenty of substantiating information online in ways that display properly on mobile phones and tablets. Holidays are the perfect time to touch base and reinforce contacts regardless of whether people are looking for new business careers or hoping to expand their customer networks.

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