Networking During Holidays: A Strategic Career Move

The holiday season, often viewed as a slow period for job seekers, presents unique networking opportunities according to career experts. With lighter workloads and fewer meetings, recruiters and hiring managers may be more receptive to holiday messages, making it an ideal time to reconnect. Career expert Amanda Augustine suggests using holiday greetings as a natural way to reach out and signal interest in connecting in the new year. She advises keeping messages brief, including a short professional update, and avoiding a pushy tone. Additionally, holiday parties serve as low-pressure environments to practice networking skills. Peter Duris, CEO of Kickresume, notes that such outreach demonstrates motivation and can plant important seeds for future opportunities before competition ramps up in January.

For many job seekers, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's feels like a professional dead zone, often blanketed by out-of-office replies. However, this perceived hush can actually bring significant opportunity. Instead of putting professional aspirations on hold until January, the holiday slowdown can be a great time for networking.

With fewer meetings and lighter workloads in many fields, a holiday message might land differently. It is possible for job seekers to reach a recruiter or hiring manager who is less rushed and perhaps in a more generous frame of mind. This environment allows for a more thoughtful reception of outreach efforts.

Wishing someone a happy holiday provides a natural, organic excuse to send an email, text, LinkedIn message, or card. Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TopResume, highlights this as a strategic advantage.

"It's a very natural, very organic way to start setting up some calls or some actual face-to-face," she said.

Timing and tone are critical when reaching out during the holidays. Augustine suggests contacting people to wish them the best for the year ahead and, depending on the relationship, suggesting a brief catch-up over lunch, a drink, or a 15-minute call after the holidays.

One effective strategy involves compiling a list of recruiters with whom the job seeker has had more than a cursory conversation over the past year. Sending a holiday wish via email, adding a brief update on current activities, and reiterating the target role type can be highly effective. The message should conclude with a request to be kept in mind for any suitable roles that may arise in the new year.

"It was a very non-pushy way of just getting back on the radar of some employers and recruiters that she had really good rapport with," Augustine noted regarding a successful client strategy.

Brevity is Key

Length is a crucial factor in the delivery of these messages. Augustine advises against dedicating "paragraphs and paragraphs" to recounting a life story. A recommended structure includes:

• Wishing the person and their loved ones a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year.
• Mentioning the time elapsed since the last contact (e.g., "I can't believe it's been X months...").
• Providing a short update on professional development or upskilling.
• Closing with a request to contact you if a fitting role becomes available.

This approach ensures the recipient does not ask, "Who in the world is this individual?" because they were contacted just a month prior.

While the strategy is sound, there are risks. Peter Duris, CEO of the career tool Kickresume, acknowledges that messages could be lost in the end-of-year digital flurry if recipients are logged off. However, if the message lands at the right time, it can plant an important seed for the year to come.

This is particularly vital because there can be stepped-up competition among job seekers in a new year. Reaching out early helps a candidate stand out before the January rush.

Duris also emphasizes that a holiday message demonstrates that a job seeker is interested and motivated. He shared an anecdote about interviewing a candidate who accepted a call close to Christmas.

"It showed the person was a hard worker... That's definitely a bonus point," Duris said.

Networking is not limited to digital communication. Many recruiters state that networking makes all the difference in job applications, though it can often feel awkward. Holiday parties offer a unique venue to polish these skills.

These events provide a chance to connect with plenty of people in a relaxed setting. They serve as an informal way to practice discussing what you are doing, what you are passionate about, and what you are looking for on the horizon.

"This is where you can start flexing your networking muscles without feeling as though you are at an official networking event," Augustine said.

By treating holiday gatherings as practice grounds, job seekers can refine their pitch and build confidence before entering formal interviews in the new year.