There’s no Santa this year

November 30, 2009 | (No Comments)

*** From my weekly newsletter to TheLadders.com subscribers…. ***

“There’s no Santa this year,” says one frustrated job seeker quoted in this story from the AP. I spoke to the reporter, AJ Connelly, and we discussed job-hunting during the holidays.

And that got me to thinking about all of us. As I mentioned in the story, this has been a dreadful year for everybody, and especially tough on those looking for work. Which can make the search all the more lonely and distressing.

Honestly, a lot of people check out during the holidays and allow themselves the pleasant distractions of family and friends and festivities to take their mind off their employment worries. I can’t say that I blame them. But I can say that won’t do much to make the problem go away.
So let’s combat the stresses of job-hunting during the holidays by doing something counterintuitive. Something clever. Crafty, even.

Let’s go shopping – for a new job hunt. Each day for the rest of the year, let’s read just one article from our extensive advice on resumes, interviewing, networking, and salary negotiation and get smarter and better informed on the job hunt.

We’ve got just five weeks until the first Monday of next year; that means thirty-five days till the 2010 work year kicks off. And during that time, sure, you’ll be looking for work. But even more important than focusing on that new job, is focusing on a new job hunt for you. You’ll take a lot longer to find the right job if you’re looking the wrong way.

We go out and hire the best career experts and writers in the country to give you free, regular advice on the job hunt, your resume, interviewing, and all other aspects of the search.

If you read just one article per day from our Career Advice section, you’ll be improving your skills, getting smarter, and hopefully feeling a little bit less distressed during these holidays.

To get you started I’ve collected a few of the best ones from our resume section:

• How to send a resume by email
• Resume formats to use
• Getting the right keywords in your resume
• When to use nicknames (I thought this article was particularly clever and insightful).

So when people ask how you’re doing, tell them you’re shopping … for a new job hunt.

And that is how we are going to make 2010 a much, much better year.

Are you with me?