4 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress During Your Job Search

4 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress During Your Job Search By Heather Huhman, Glassdoor.com

Last week, Felix Baumgartner stepped to the edge of a platform 24 miles high, ready to jump to Earth. For Baumgartner, coming to the edge wasn’t a bad thing. But for job seekers, being pushed to the edge isn’t always good.

Today, the job search can certainly feel like you’re standing on the edge of a 24 mile high platform. While job seekers are applying for more and more jobs, most aren’t hearing a peep back from employers. It’s a stressful process. And with the holidays around the corner, stress related to the job search is likely to increase even more.

But let’s use some foresight this year and prepare for the upcoming holiday season amidst unemployment, underemployment, and meeting holiday budgets. Before you jump off the edge, consider these tips in avoiding holiday stress during your job search:

1. Prioritize your career goals.
The holiday season will be ripe with seasonal job opportunities. The National Retail Federation project 585,000 to 625,000 temporary retail hires for the holiday season. So maybe retail’s not your thing? Before you write it off, consider prioritizing where you’re interested in applying for a seasonal job. Are there any seasonal jobs that would align with your career goals? Not all jobs will, but it’s worth it to take a closer look at other opportunities within the company too – not just seasonal positions.

If you’re not interested in seasonal jobs, make a timeline. If you don’t find a full-time job by X date, you’re going to apply for seasonal jobs. By doing this, you don’t miss out on a job opportunity — big or small, permanent or temporary.

2. Budget your holiday expenses now.
If your budget is tight this year, avoid the stress of holiday shopping and start creating your holiday budget now, especially if you’re unemployed. Don’t feel pressured to give the same quality gifts you gave prior to your unemployment. It’s still very early, so if you have the opportunity to put gifts on layaway, this is a great way to budget your money and pay off your gifts little by little without accruing interest. If this isn’t enough, cut back the number of gifts you give or consider volunteering your time instead.

3. Don’t forget it’s the holidays for hiring managers, too.
Be prepared to continue your job search throughout the holidays, but don’t expect too many interviews during the season. It’s the holidays for hiring managers and recruiters too, so like everyone else, they might be distracted, stressed, or on vacation. That doesn’t mean you should stop applying or get frustrated. Just be mindful of this as you continue your search.

4. Enjoy yourself.
It’s been said time and time again, but job search stress during the holidays can be remedied by taking a step back and enjoying time with family and friends. Listen to some holiday music when taking breaks from job applications.

So don’t find yourself at the edge this holiday season. Job search stress is often magnified by holiday stress, especially for the unemployed. Avoid this stress by planning ahead for the holidays.

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