Holidays can be ideal for job hunting
By Karen Dybis
Detroit News
When Rick Armes was laid off from auto supplier Lear Corp. in July, he promised himself he would find a job by Thanksgiving.
• Research companies and get ready now for increased activity after the New Year. • Continue to network with potential employers. Managers may have tips on positions opening after the first of the year. • Be open about your job search. Share information with friends, family and associates about what you are seeking, and share information you have gained. • Attend holiday parties. You can make excellent contacts at these festivities. Be sure your spirits are upbeat, and positive about the future. • Use holiday cards to update friends and associates on your status. Follow up to personally exchange greetings and reinforce contacts. • If you are traveling, notify potential employers that you will be out of town.
Like many job seekers, the former purchasing manager thought if he were still out of work when the holidays arrived, his hopes of landing a job this year would be slim.
Use the season to prepare
He didn't find work by Thanksgiving, but Armes, 44, is finding that job hunting during the holidays isn't a lost cause.
In fact, he has received more phone calls from interested employers recently than he has in months. The Livonia, Mich., man is hopeful that he'll have a job offer in hand before Christmas.
"I'm not giving up. I'm eagerly searching every day," Armes said. "With the Internet, time no longer matters. It's a 24/7 job search."
Contrary to popular belief, recruiters, human-resource managers and staffing firms say the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's is actually a prime time for hiring.
Some businesses want to make hires on this year's budget in case they have leftover money or cutbacks come next year. Recruiters are looking to fill leftover openings. Other firms are planning for next year's staffing needs.
"A lot of them want to hit the ground running come January 1 and not worry about hiring, which can distract from day-to-day operations," said Paul Helm, a partner at Platinum Black Inc., a Milford, Mich., search firm.
For job seekers, the opportunities to network improve during the holidays. Normally busy executives may have more time to talk to potential job candidates. And parties provide an informal setting to make contacts.
There are signs that hiring should remain steady during the holidays. A survey by Manpower Inc., the employment services company, estimates the hiring pace for the final three months of the year will be consistent with the past two quarters. Of the 16,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 28 percent said they planned to hire in the fourth quarter.
Staffing solutions company Kelly Services Inc. in Troy, Mich., says it has been busier than usual this time of year, with more job seekers and job openings in recent months. "We're seeing a lot of companies we haven't heard from over the past couple years now seeking employees," said John O'Connor, regional manager and vice president for the Southeast Michigan division.
Instead of taking a breather, job seekers should increase their efforts if they hope to land a new gig before year's end, experts say.
"There's never really a bad time to be job searching. There's just different tactics," said O'Connor.
Laurel Cohen, president and chief executive officer of Lorbar Associates LLC, whose direct-hire search firm in Farmington Hills, Mich., focuses on accounting, healthcare and advertising, tells this story: Last year, she received a call Dec. 23 from a nationally known client who wanted to interview one of her clients on Christmas Eve. The client aced the interview and now has a six-figure salary.
"Expect the unexpected," she said. "You just never know when a company will be ready to interview you."
