Planning to shelve your job search during the holidays?

Here’s an idea that will benefit you, long after you roll out of bed on Black Friday to check out the latest toys and gadgets: sleep in a while longer and then work on your resume instead.

Don’t fall for the myth that “no one hires in December.”

Not only are there an abundance of open jobs – and recruiters eager to fill them, but you can even take otherwise quiet, unrushed time to get the most important document of your career together.

After all, you won’t have to cook (leftovers are abundant), you most likely have the day off, and you’ll probably be undisturbed by phone calls and email messages.

Here are 3 reasons that the holiday season (and Black Friday) have “resume” and “job search” written all over them:

1 – Less competition means Santa might bring you a new job.

Studies have shown that nearly 45% of job-hunting executives drop their searches during the holidays—meaning more opportunities for you.

Job searching, according to the masses, is a January to mid-May activity.

Get in front of everyone else by being prepared and ready to land the perfect job, long before your colleagues or competitors catch on.

2 – Networking opportunities are everywhere.

Your next job lead could come from the literally dozens of people you can meet (some of them key decision-makers) at holiday events.

Remember that networking is all about developing relationships that will produce business contacts over time. Focus on how you can introduce yourself and who you can get to know, rather than on your job situation—and you can turn nearly any community, family, or business event into a networking opportunity.

Get in the right mindset by thinking about the long-term benefits of building these relationships, and how they can help your career over time.

3 – Business needs don’t take a holiday.

Employers still have business needs (some even more so) during the last 2 months of the year. The holidays, contrary to popular belief, don’t cause all activity to stop.

An end-of-year, use-it-or-lose-it hiring budget might work in your favor, too.

So, reheat the turkey, fire up the computer, leverage some excellent resume writing tips and LinkedIn Profile writing advice, and put yourself out there.

A great job could come your way while others are focused elsewhere!

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