A New Job for Christmas? Why The Holidays Can Be a Great Time to Look for Work

People seeking work often take a break around the holidays — which is exactly why some experts say it’s a great time to find a job.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are when almost everyone, the employed and unemployed alike, take off. While those with a job go on vacation or head back home, those without work often take a respite from the incessant and draining job search, often believing that employers aren’t hiring until the following year.

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But because so many temporarily drop out of the job search, this time of year could be a great time to double your job seeking efforts.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the turnout at job fairs last week in midtown Manhattan were disappointing because many seekers had taken the holidays off. At one job fair table, about 50 people showed up. During a normal week, there would be triple that number of job seekers.

Another reason it could be a better time than most to look for work is that companies might have “use it or lose it” budgets, meaning they have a certain amount of money that won’t show up next year if they don’t spend it this year. That may spur a number of organizations to hire before the year’s up. The Journal also cites the fact that companies often start big projects at the beginning of the year that they’re looking to staff now.

But while some believe it to be a great time to look for a job, Career Counselor Lynn Berger questions whether this time of year is any better than others.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the best time, but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad time,” says Berger. “It’s a little quieter now, so people who might never have time to answer the phone now can.”

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