Holiday Planning

Let me be the first to say Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, and just plain old Happy Holidays. Yes, there are a boatload of holidays packed into the next two months, and that means a long list of “to-do’s” between now and the time we’ll be ready to say “Happy New Year! “

What’s one of the most important things a job seeker can be doing this time of year? Let’s see….making a holiday card list for all their network contacts? Asking Santa for a new computer? Or, discussing and agreeing with the family now how to best celebrate the holidays at your house this year? My recommendation is the last one. If family is not an issue for you, just decide how you will keep your own holiday expenses reasonable rather letting them add more pressure you don’t need.

What the holidays have to do with my job search, you ask. Isn’t that a time when it’s not worth working at the job search since everyone is so distracted? The answer is no! This can be a very promising time of year to land the exact position you are targeting. I’m not going to delve into all the reasons why it’s a good time. But I am going to outline a plan with which you can continue your job search at full speed and still have the best holidays ever.

Again, what do job search and planning holidays have in common? Easy answer: they’re both stressful and we all feel a lot of pressure to do things just right. Carrying around a big load of worry about disappointing those you love will make it even worse. And every day you put off planning will just add to the load, making it harder to cope and actually have good holidays while staying on your job search and a prudent financial path. Here’s your plan:

Start NOW to fit your holiday preparations into your already full time job search. It would be much easier to wait until the last minute, but that might rule out you being able to respond effectively to that phone call asking you to come in for an interview on the last shopping day on the calendar. Talk about pressure!! Don’t wait until the last minute to do the things you feel you must do to enjoy the holidays. Start now with an hour a day until that little knot in your stomach loosens up as you see all the ways you can prepare and feel less queasy about the whole thing.

This is probably a time when cash flow will be a big concern. You may not be able to plan your celebrations as lavishly as you would like or have been able to do in the past. The whole family knows that, but may not be sure just exactly how it will translate into what happens at your house. Don’t wait until the last minute and carry the pressure of how it will work out for the next seven or eight weeks. Talk now to those you most like celebrating with and decide early how you’ll handle the details in a way that’s in-line with current circumstances and, at the same time won’t add even more financial pressure to your life after the parties are over...

Topics you may want to cover include things like:

Gift giving….if you can afford it at all, at what level could you be comfortable? You can agree on a reasonable spending limit for gifts for kids and adults in the family, and do the same for friends and extended family. Then you can let people know what you’ll be doing this year in advance so there aren’t any surprises or dashed expectations. Some people make a favorite recipe of cookies or a special dish or dessert for everyone but the immediate family. This allows your family to start preparing in advance, and freeze your gifts until it’s time to distribute them. It also takes away the concern about finding something different for each friend and still ensures a nice personal way to say Happy Holidays while keeping expenditures under control.

Parties…If you normally entertain a lot during this time, determine what you can do to take some of the weight off your shoulders. There are many options. You can decide not to entertain, or cut down on the size of the get- togethers. You can make them less lavish or even plan them so you can continue to host events, but they will be more participatory, like pot-luck meals and gift exchanges where you draw names rather than buy for everyone.

Cards...If cards are part of your tradition, it’s still possible to send holiday greetings without buying expensive cards and sending them through the mail. A nice e-mail, maybe with a picture attached, will let everyone important to you know you are thinking about them.

You may have guessed by now that the purpose of today’s blog is not to tell you what to do, or even how to do it, but to try and inspire your holiday planning now, so you have enough time, energy, and good cheer to devote to your job search and your holidays. Making decisions in advance will take some pressure off you and your loved ones and ensure you’re not too overwhelmed to make the best of every opportunity that comes your way.

To learn some great tips and inside information about how to use this time of year to the best advantage in your job search, be sure to sign up for our webinar on Wednesday, Nov 30 Titled, Holiday Job Search. It will be led by well-respected career coach Rebecca Kieler.

Categories: Ask Cher (HR Executive), Strategies for Unemployed, Things You Need to Know