It’s that time of year again; time to make New Year’s Resolutions. For those in the job market there might be more important things to add to the list than “I will give up chocolate”. A new year is a fresh beginning for everyone, and a great time for job seekers to re evaluate their game plan. Here are some resolutions that can really help.
- I will ask my friends and relatives to give me an honest critique of my resume and cover letter, and listen to their feedback, even if it stings.
- I will ask those same people to “mock interview” me, and ask them to be as critical as they can.
- When I find an attractive job opportunity I will apply immediately, no more procrastination.
- I will do more research about the industries I want to work in, and the companies that appeal to me.
- I will spend more time networking, both online and off.
- I will be brave enough to make that follow up call after I have interviewed for a position.
- I will open my mind to avenues beyond the obvious in an attempt to find the best and most interesting opportunities.
- I will really examine my finances and see if I can consider a lower paying position that could be a stepping stone to something bigger.
Many jobseekers believe that the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year is a dead zone, that hiring ceases during the holiday season and they should put their job search on the back burner until mid January. This is however a myth; the holidays can provide the jobseeker with a number of season specific opportunities, here are a few:
- Holiday events are great for networking as well as catching up with friends and relatives you have perhaps not seen all year. Do not be obnoxious about your job search when speaking to people at these gatherings but do put it out there that you are looking for work. Help may come from unexpected quarters.
- Send holiday cards with a “micro resume” enclosed (a newer trend, a micro resume contains the salient points of a resume and contact information printed on a business card) to all the hiring managers you may have interviewed with recently. Also send them out to any well connected friends you may have neglected to connect with recently.
- Create a job search plan that contains at least one thing for you to accomplish every day in your search. It is easy for a jobseeker to become disheartened around the holidays, so maintaining focus is essential.
- Consider taking seasonal employment to tide you through the financially draining holidays. Many temp agencies see an increase in the number of assignment they have available around the holidays, as employees take their annual vacations or companies struggle to close out all their yearend tasks on time.
- Volunteer – Many non profits seek extra help around the holidays. This is a great networking opportunity, a way to stay busy and active, resume builder, and not to mention the satisfaction that can be gained by doing something nice for other people.
As more people join the ranks of those actively seeking employment, activity on online job boards increases. These can be great places to land a job (although competition is fierce) but, increasingly the scam artists are targeting them too.
Work from home scams, investment scams and the like are nothing new. However now they are showing up alongside legitimate job offers on sites like Monster and Yahoo and it can be hard to spot them at first.
Some job seekers assume that these big job boards vet all the employment offerings that are posted on their site but that is simply not the case, so it is up to the individual to figure out which ones are not legitimate.
The old adage “if it looks too good to be true it probably is” definitely applies here. “Work from home receptionist” with $20 – $25/hr pay. If this was legitimate I’m sure a lot of us would quit our jobs to become work at home receptionists. Scammers may ask for money, social security numbers, or offer jobs such as check cashing. A woman in Pennsylvania had been a victim of a check cashing scam and is still living a nightmare. Read about her story here.
Online job applications are becoming commonplace, as they save time and money for both employer and applicant. Complete them with caution though. Sensitive information like your address and especially your social security number can be a real score for scam artists. If a posting looks fishy report it to the administrators of the website or job board to investigate it further. Again, if it looks too good to be true it most likely is a job board scam.