During festive periods, you can’t help but notice that your office is much less busy than usual and that many others remain empty. Indeed, a large portion of employees take their holiday leave during this period and some companies even proceed to close for a few days.

For these reasons, it might appear logical to think that this is not the best time to look for and apply for jobs, lest applications be seen or put aside until January. But contrary to what you might think, many factors play in favor of job-seekers during the holidays.

Here are some reasons that could convince you to continue your job search during the holidays:

Fewer candidates are applying

Many people usually take advantage of the festivities to take a break from their job search so that they can fully enjoy their family and friends. Continuing to apply during this period therefore increases the visibility of your application, which will be less likely to be drowned under the usual pile of other CVs. In addition, a candidate who continues to apply even during the holidays demonstrates not only their motivation to find a job but especially their availability.

The holidays also mean a general decrease in activity across most sectors, meaning that recruiters who are still in the office during calm periods have more time to look through applications and consider profiles.

Businesses are redefining their needs

At the end of the year, many companies gather the progress of their activity, their financial balance sheet as well as determine their global strategy for the year to come. It’s often at this time that the annual balance sheets are carried out and the new needs in the company are defined.

Applying spontaneously in this period can help companies recognize some needs even before they have had time to publish job adverts. Applications that arrive when a need for recruitment has just been defined avoid the wave of submissions that come after the broadcasting of the ad and increase their chances of being spotted by recruiters.

An excuse to reenergize your network

Holidays are a great way to reactivate both your personal and professional network. It’s not unlikely at a family meal or New Year's Eve that a distant cousin or a friend of a friend knows a recruiter or company that has vacancies. Don’t hesitate to ask around.

Sending a message or a card to wish "Happy Holidays" to your former colleagues who may have also changed their company is an easy way of keeping in touch and can serve as an excuse to exchange information on the job search. In the same way, they may know someone who is recruiting!

Increase in the number of fixed-term contracts

With all the excitement surrounding the holiday season and especially the purchase of gifts, many people consume more at this time of year and some companies observe a considerable increase in their sales because of this. With the approaching holidays, interim contracts are more numerous in order to compensate for the increase of consumer demand.

The sectors offering the most seasonal contracts are therefore unsurprisingly logistics / transport, retail, trade and hospitality sectors. For people looking for a fixed-term contract, it's a real opportunity to find a job quickly.

So yes, we therefore recommend to continue to apply actively during the holidays for all the reasons cited in this article. In this way, maybe Santa will bring great opportunities this year!

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