Don’t Slow Down Your Job Search During the Holidays

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 29, 2009 -- The U.S bureau of Labor and Statistics announced last week that unemployment tipped 10%. This is the highest it has been since April 1983. Coming on the heels of the holidays, this is somber news for many in the midst of their job search.

While some conventional wisdom for job seekers is to regroup during the holidays, expert on uncovering the “hidden” job market Kevin Kermes says there are some key opportunities that exist to capitalize on during the holidays. Kevin Kermes advises his clients to take advantage of the networking opportunities that abound from late November through the New Year. Kevin says, “I am a huge advocate of the “give to get” approach to life and the job search is no exception. The Holidays offer the perfect time to network and help others while helping your own job search at the same time.” He also recommends using this time to further brand “Your Solution” so that “you can look for a job without having to say so at every turn.” This technique also helps professionals differentiate in an otherwise crowded marketplace.

Five more of Kevin’s tips to uncover the “Hidden” Job Market during the Holidays, that don’t cost even a dime:

1. December is historically a busy month in terms of hiring. Despite the Holidays, many companies are trying to get positions filled before year’s end because of budgets or potentially losing headcount. With a focus on doing more with less, no one wants to miss the opportunity to hire right now.

2. Networking for those who aren’t comfortable with it is easiest to do this time of year. Not only are peers and potential employers in a giving mood but, with parties and social gatherings at every turn, the amount of people you can meet is about two to three times that of any other time of the year.
3. Volunteer. Ideally, find somewhere that you can showcase your particular professional talents. In the absence of that, you simply want to get out there and “give.” Not only will it do wonders for your outlook, but you can expand your network and connect with new contacts.

4. Remember that you are marketing yourself like a product and creating “buzz” via word of mouth it the best way to get the “hidden” job market to learn about you. It’s all about “know, like, trust.” By meeting and letting people get to know the real you (not you, the job seeker), you can build new relationships that can bear fruit in your search.
5. For those companies that aren’t going to hire until 2010, staying top of mind right now is even more important. Simply put, who has a better chance of landing the job – the person who has been in touch, networking and establishing rapport in December –or- the person who first introduces themselves in January because they took some time off?

Kevin Kermes is an expert on uncovering the “hidden” job market. He is the creator of the Job Search 2.0 Bootcamp and provides private, one-on-one coaching for select senior executives one-on-one. www.KevinKermes.com

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