Talk and Listen as You Celebrate

Over the holidays you will most likely see a lot of family and friends who know you better than you know yourself. This is a good chance to use their knowledge, ask for their advice and use them family and friends to discuss your work. The ones you love can be your harshest critics; this can be just what you need, getting a reality check to kick-start your job search.
The chance to talk to more estranged family members might also reveal good networking opportunities, or reveal contacts who they could put you in contact with. You might think that the Christmas break is a time of rest, but while others are laid back it is your chance to shine!

A Time to Experiment

We’ve all been advised not to use the shotgun approach of applying for every job you come across, but while you’re kicking back over Christmas it might be worth looking at positions from different perspectives and applying to roles you may not have considered before. This can even give you new or refreshed ideas for sprucing up your CV.
It can also work well in two opposite directions: you can reassure yourself that you were definitely looking in the right place for jobs that suit you, or you can realise that what you really needed was a change of direction. Either way, you can face the New Year with the firm belief that you are traveling in the right direction.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

Christmas inevitably brings back memories, you can use this to your advantage. Think back to all the contacts you have built up in the past 12 months and beyond. Whether they are people you bumped into during work experience, previous employers, or even university tutors, use your rest time to draw up a list of relevant people you can contact. Have a think about how they can help you and jot down some ideas, ready to hit the ground running in the New Year.

Get Your Act Together

Spending your days tirelessly searching for a new job is incredibly time-consuming.The added spare time that Christmas brings can be used to get a list of priorities straight, cutting down a to-do list and filtering through all of the admin clutter that builds up. If you are feeling super organised, then create a spreadsheet so you can sort and keep track of your applications. This can be invaluable when you get applying in January.