Do you find yourself in the position of having to find work over the holidays? Finding work is never easy, but the holiday season can make it exceptionally difficult. These are some basic principles and solid steps that you can take to get the most of the unique opportunities you can discover at this time of year.
Here Are Some Basic Principles for Finding Work Over the Holidays:
- Be as gentle as possible with yourself. For all the joy, the holidays can be an emotionally intense period under the best of circumstances. Take it easy on yourself when you’re trying to cope with the financial and psychological impact of being unemployed.
- Respect that other’s routines may be more irregular than usual. During the holiday season it’s important to keep in mind that people may be out of the office more. Avoid becoming anxious just because your phone calls or emails fail to get returned promptly.
- Take a long-term perspective. It’s common for job searches to take longer than usual these days. Set incremental goals so you can acknowledge the progress while you’re waiting for a job offer.
- Welcome the reduced competition. By continuing your job search towards the end of the year, you distinguish yourself from all those who may be tempted to take a hiatus. You might find that fewer applicants are coming forward for the openings that interest you.
- Nourish your spirits. Devote some regular time to activities that help you feel better. It will make it easier to project a positive attitude that improves your chances for a getting a job offer. Check out my post on creating relaxation time for yourself. Also remember to get plenty of physical exercise to help stay energized.
Solid Strategies for You to Try:
Consider a temporary position. Many companies hire temporary help this time of year. It could be a great way to pick up some extra cash and expand your skills.
Reestablish old connections. Send out cards and make some phone calls. Sending holiday greetings gives you a ready-made reason to get in touch without putting people off by asking about job prospects directly.
Do More Networking. It’s a great season for networking. Accept party invitations. Talk with more new people. A good lead can come from unexpected sources. Volunteer work is another way to meet new people and try out new experiences.
Devote more time to research. If things slow down, use this extra time wisely. Go online or visit the library to research potential employers and industry trends.
Encourage gifts that will help your job search. If people ask you what you want for Christmas, volunteer that you appreciate anything to help with your job search. It could be something like a gift certificate for a store that specializes in the work attire that you need.
Learn new skills. You may also want to focus on mastering some new skills. Public libraries often offer free computer courses or workshops with experts who can assist you with your plans to start a small business of your own.
Update your resume. This may also be a good time to review your written materials like resumes and cover letters. Look for ways to tweak your content to highlight your strong points and the contribution you could make to a potential employer or work partner.
Make plans for the year ahead. Keep your hopes up by planning for the year ahead. Set monthly goals for your job search. Make contingency plans so you’ll feel more secure. Visualize finding the career opportunity that you seek. A simple tool such as mind mapping can help you get really clear on making your plans.
It may feel especially unpleasant to be unemployed during the holidays when the rest of the world seems to be celebrating. Be kind to yourself to manage your emotions and relieve stress while you play an active role in building a better career future.
How to Balance Your Work Schedule:
So once you find that new (and hopefully better fitting!) job, how do you balance your schedule while still maintaining what is important to you over the holidays? Not only do you have your new work tasks which may increase due to the holiday season, but family is often off work and out of school.
And then of course there are the holiday festivities, which means preparation time. Is balance possible, or do you just throw up your arms and give into chaos? Don’t give up! Here’s how to balance your work schedule during the holidays.
Set realistic goals
No matter how you might like it to be otherwise, there are only 24 hours in a day, and it may seem like there are actually much less. While a standard week’s goals might be to implement a marketing strategy, hire a contractor, and bill 20 hours of work, during the holidays you’re going to want to cut back and focus on the essential tasks, the tasks that make money. And your goals may need to be reduced. If you normally bill 20 hours of coaching, for example, then you may need to cut back during the holidays and bill only 10 or 15. Please see my post on how to use creative visualization to achieve your goals.
Alter your schedule
With family in town, or if you’re traveling out of town and have holiday outings to tend to, it’s likely that your schedule is going to have to change. If for example, you normally work from 9-1 during the day, then you may want to shift your hours to when family members are asleep or are less active.
Automate and seek outside help
While the holidays isn’t a great time to try a new contractor, it is a great time to hand off some work to someone you’re familiar with. Hiring a new employee during the holidays only makes it harder on you and they may not be as available as you’d like. And remember how wonderful technology is.
You can schedule your blog posts and email marketing in advance. I love using Tailwind for my Pinterest posts, it is an absolute life saver! You can use a voicemail and an email autoresponder to let customers and prospects know you’ll get back to them. This means you won’t miss potential business and you can enjoy family time without having to be chained to the phone.
Balancing your work schedule during the holidays can be difficult. However, it is possible with a little planning and dedication. You’ll want to cut back, focus on specific and attainable goals, goals that are directly related to your bottom line.
You may also need to adjust your schedule and of course take advantage of technology and your contractors – they’re there to help! Lighten your load as much as possible and enjoy the holiday season. You deserve it!
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