Have you been good this year?

Career change during the holidays. Lousy mashup yet sometimes a necessary evil.

There is this mindset that I have been hearing for years –

I am going to wait until after the holidays to look for something new.

Never understood it.  If you feel that way and there is no financial implication involved in leaving, why are you waiting?

The cliché is – Looking for a new job is a job within itself.

Believe this to be true so we can extrapolate out a little further with this question –

Would you stop doing your current job because we are near the holidays?

Yes, I know some of you are saying “Well, yeah.”  Wiseapples.

This is the time of year when most are trying to finish a project, hit a quota, achieve a bonus and reach a milestone.  Looking for a job should have the same mentality.

Here are some items to consider:

If you feel this way, then so do others.  The competition for a new role is reduced considerably as individuals take their foot off the job search pedal.

Several companies have budgets to fill headcount that will go away next year.  Budgets end each year like everything else.  They need to fill roles now.

For our smaller companies and startups, the Boards mandate hires by a certain date.  They use this as a milestone for the next round of investment at times.  There is certainly an incentive for the executives to make this hire immediately.

Many companies pay their bonuses out late in Q1. This means several people who will be on the market are waiting a few months.  Even less competition at this time interviewing.

The bottom line is this is an opportunity to throw your career search into overdrive.  This is your time.  Be more active in your pursuit.  Use the holidays to your advantage.  It is an easy talking point and hiring executives will appreciate your awareness of the time of year and the pressures that come with it while being industrious.

Tis the season…