The holiday season is always seen as a time of stress, excitement, and added pressures. But what if instead of seeing it as a time of stress, we see it in a proactive and positive way? In this message, let’s discuss how we can leverage this holiday season and continue to grow our networks. As you know, Networking is crucial for any professional trying to progress in their careers.
Throughout this article, I will discuss how this holiday season is not a time to stop putting yourself in front of others, but instead to capitalize on the holiday kindness of those around you. I will also discuss the importance of keeping yourself moving forward and the difference between networking and not working.
Holiday Season or Networking Season?
The answer is both! Everyone sees this time of year as when fewer jobs are posted and closed, but job postings will quickly pick up in the new year. Your holiday season is a time to network with the people in your life that you care about, and who also care about you. Picture yourself at a friend’s holiday party where you are talking to someone that you have not seen for a while. During the conversation, you mention your industry, and your friend says they were just speaking to someone who is in that same industry. Your friend invites that person into the conversation. You have just turned a comfortable holiday conversation into a networking opportunity.
The holidays are great for this kind of networking. Not only will you be surrounded by the people who care about you the most, but companies will start interviewing more candidates during the holidays up until mid-December. With all of the holiday parties, dinners, and gatherings, it is a season that is tailor-made for networking. The opportunities are endless, you just have to take advantage of them.
Don’t Let The Holidays Keep You From Moving Forward
We need to understand the difference between networking and not working. I know this time of season is busy and stressful, but you can not forget to keep representing yourself well. If you use this season as a time to slow down or stall your career campaign, then you will lose some valuable networking time. Instead of not working during the holiday season, use it as a time to grow connections and your network. Imagine a cold December evening, and you have been invited to a holiday party by some friends of friends. You can think of dozens of excuses of why you shouldn’t go. However, you should take advantage of this golden opportunity to network - to talk with people and ask them how they might be able to support you in moving your career campaign forward. Do this by keeping yourself moving forward and using these situations to make connections that can advance your career.
Be Open and Honest In Your Networking
During this holiday season, you do not want to make the mistake of keeping to yourself or being shy especially when it comes to promoting your career. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not telling people how your career journey is going. When you are at a holiday gathering, it is inevitable that several people will ask you about your career. This is an open invitation for you to talk about your current work status and use the opportunity to network. If you don’t mention your current job status people will just assume and not ask questions. For you to get the most out of this holiday season you need to open up and vocalize your current job situation. It is never a bad thing to be bold and honest!
There are several important tools which will help improve your networking strategy. For example, making sure you know how to ask for assistance and what to ask during networking events. This will ensure the person you are connecting with knows how they could help in the future. By preparing and practicing questions prior to networking this can help you get more out of networking. For a more in depth dive into our YouTube video, networking vs not working.
To close my thoughts here, to keep progressing in your career campaign you need to take every opportunity to create new connections. The holiday season is the perfect time for this. The perfect time to foster stronger connections with the people you have already connected with and to meet new people too who can help you advance. I hope this has encouraged everyone to use their time wisely this holiday season. I hope you have an incredible holiday season and happy networking!
Recent Comments