Get a Jump Start for the New Year

November 2011

Career Symposium Recap

On November 18, 2011, more than 100 job seekers started the day with inspiration from career guru Dr. Rich Feller. Sharing new trends in the employment landscape and strategies for creating opportunities in the competitive job market, Dr. Feller set the tone for the day-long Northern Colorado Career Symposium.

Throughout the day, job seekers and professionals looking to advance their careers chose between 9 sessions by leading career experts, including social media strategy, emotion and financial management during job search, job search strategy, resume development, and career transition. Attendees gained insight into the hiring process from a panel of 5 recruiters and heard about industry growth trends and retraining initiatives from local leaders from Spirae Inc., Columbine Health Systems, Woodward Inc., and Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp.

As a celebration of Career Development Month, the Symposium was produced and hosted by A Strategic Advantage and sponsored by Clear Channel Radio of Northern Colorado, Regis University, Gabby Communications, and the Northern Colorado Business Report.

Mark your calendars to look for information on the 3rd annual Symposium in November 2012! Sign up to receive information on the event when it is announced.

Don't Let the Job Search Grinch Steal Your Holiday Cheer

Many job seekers are tempted to halt their search during the holiday season. “No one is hiring anyway,” they say. Victims of the holiday myth often find themselves watching their competition land positions during and directly after the holiday season – let's dispel a few of those myths to find out why . . .

MYTH 1: NO ONE IS HIRING. Although this may be true for some companies, many companies close their 4th quarter in October, and launch a new hiring season in November, right when job seekers rest on the laurels for the season. If a company is on solid financial footing, they may pick up hiring for the quarter, looking to fill open positions before the financial year-end. The truth here – someone is ALWAYS hiring; halting your job search ensures you will miss out on opportunities.

MYTH 2: EVERY COMPANY SLOWS DOWN. This assumption directly opposes the thought that companies would be hurrying to meet 4th-quarter sales. Position yourself as their answer to finishing the year strong and starting the new year on the right foot! If the hiring manager for the position you are targeting IS available because of a slow down during the holiday season, this opens the opportunity for you to set up a networking meeting or take them to a holiday lunch.

MYTH 3: EVERY HIRING MANAGER IS WRAPPED UP IN HOLIDAY ACTIVITY. Hiring managers forget people they network with during the holiday season, right? Okay, so this may not be one of the common myths, but what other excuse do you have for slowing your networking for the 6-week “holiday season?” The Harvard Business Review reports close to 70% of job seekers find a position through their network each year. The key to networking – consistency. Taking the holiday season off means you will have to start over in the new year and may not be on the top of the list for the positions posted during and after the season.

A balance of job search activity and self care is important throughout the year to keep your energy up and your search activity consistent. Taking long breaks at any point of the year slows your progress, requiring more energy to rebuild networks and get "back in gear.” The holiday season is not an exception – someone is always hiring and consistent effort increases your odds of being in the right place at the right time! Happy holidays and happy job searching.

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