It’s wintertime again, and the holidays are rapidly approaching. Some of us truly enjoy this time of year, and rightfully so. It’s a time to reconnect with old friends and spend some quality time with the family. But the reality is, if you are looking for a job, this can be a rough few months.
It’s Q4 and most companies have spent their hiring budgets for the year. It doesn’t help that it’s also the quarter where everyone is scrambling to use up the last of their PTO or taking some time off. These factors alone can make a job hunt very difficult, but there are a few things you can do to make life easier:
- Know a recruiter
- Use words/phrases in your resume that get yourself noticed
- Take time to connect with people on LinkedIn
We preach it all the time, but honestly build a couple of solid relationships with recruiters. Finding people and matching them to the perfect job is our job! Even if you can dedicate 8+ hours a day to your job search, why not double your chances? Hop on LinkedIn or Twitter and reach out to us!
Another thing you can do to stand out from the crowd is to use different words and phrases than the standard “dynamic” or “specialized.” The more specific and descriptive your language, the more likely you are to get noticed!
A great tip is to speak in numbers, because this will translate into other environments. For example, “led a team of 8 .Net developers on a CRM customization project, which affected 3 business units over a 18 month span and utilized a $1.3M budget.” Using numbers provides concrete evidence of your expertise and accomplishments.
Also try using a skills matrix or word bank on your resume to make your resume pop up in more searches! More views = more calls = more opportunities.
But most importantly, keep your head up! Q1 is right around the corner!