Making A Career Change During The Holiday Season

For many, the winter holiday season is a time of reflection and contemplation. Regardless of which individual holidays you celebrate, there is a common theme of togetherness and gratitude that make it easy to get into this contemplative mindset.

As a result, many put together New Year’s resolutions of goals to accomplish or things to change about themselves, and these resolutions are often work-related. Maybe taking an extended time away from the day-to-day of your job provides a different viewpoint when the holidays end. Maybe talking to family and friends during gatherings gives you new ideas or allows you to refocus on what’s important in your life.

Whatever the reason, holidays are a perfect time to take stock of your life. Because of this, many find themselves looking for a career change. Searching for a new career during the holidays can already be a difficult but rewarding challenge, as we discussed recently. Yet in this post-pandemic world, more individuals are reassessing their careers than ever before, and the holidays can actually be a smart time to start working on a career change.

A desire to change careers is normal

Planning a career change can be scary no matter what time of year it takes place, but know what you’re not the only one considering it. According to Washington Post’s Heather Long and Scott Clement, almost one-third of workers under 40 considered a career change during the pandemic.

“Many people told The Post that the pandemic altered how they think about what is important in life and their careers. It has given them a heightened understanding that life is short and that now is the time to make the changes they have long dreamed of. The result is a great reassessment of work, as Americans fundamentally reimagine their relationships to their jobs.” -Heather Long and Scott Clement.

The pandemic forced many layoffs and career changes, and time away from the office made people reflect on the work itself according to Yale School of Management’s Amy Wrzesniewski (reported by MarketPlace.org’s Kristin Schwab).

“It shakes people up. It makes them really think about how they’re spending their time, who they’re spending it with, what they’re spending it doing. What seemed tolerable before may not seem tolerable anymore. It may seem very different.” -Amy Wrzesniewski

While the holiday season is a much different source of reflection, the downtime can lead to the same conclusions about one’s career. If your reflections do lead you to the idea of a career change, Northeastern University has a helpful list of signs it may be time to take that leap. They provide a detailed guide on how to assess your career situation and what changes can be made.

Meanwhile, hcareers.com’s Deb Ward recommends making a personal development plan this holiday season while providing additional questions to reflect on.

Why the holidays?

Maybe you’re thinking, “It IS time for a career change, but shouldn’t I wait until the new year?” In our previous holiday job search article, we suggested that while there are challenges to looking for a new job in late November and December, jobs are still out there, and there are a plethora of ways to take advantage of the holiday season.

The lack of competition is one of the mightiest boons of the holiday season, especially if you’re switching to a new industry. A common myth is no one is hiring during the holidays, which leads to a lack of applicants. This can be used to your advantage!

The holidays also provide perhaps more networking opportunities than any other time of the year. Professional and personal office parties provide a chance to mingle and gather information. Holiday cards are a great way to stay in touch with contacts in a personal manner.

Camden Kelly’s Carly Weiner offers even more advantages to a holiday job search. Companies oft have ‘use it or lose it’ budgets at the end of the year. For HR managers, the best way to make sure they don’t lose it is to hire someone before the new year. You may not start your position until January, but you’ll be in the books and ready to go.

It’s also easier to take some time off for any potential interviews if you’re still at your current job, Weiner writes. It’s common for employees to take more time off in December for holiday commitments, and that can make it easier to fit some searching and interviews into your routine.

Ultimately, if you’re set on a career change, there are zero reasons to put it off until January, writes Forbes’ Jack Kelly. Amid this time of uncertainty, many people search for a career to make them feel fulfilled but slow down during the holidays when they should be ramping up instead, Kelly believes.

“Since we are in a new type of world where everything seems possible, why not start on improving your work life right now? View today as the start of the new year and work life. It’s your chance to get ahead of the crowd, as most people put off their job searches during the holiday season and resume it again in the first few weeks of the new year.” -Jack Kelly

Wrap up

Take some time to really contemplate where you’re at in your professional life this holiday season. If you find that part of life wanting, know that you aren’t alone. More workers are considering career changes than ever before. The holiday season may not be the easiest time to find a new job, but it offers some perks no other time of year has. If you’re really invested in a career change, there’s no time like the present. ‘New Year, New Me’ your way into a new career by using this time to your advantage.

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How To Successfully Navigate Workplace Conflict

You’ll spend a significant amount of time at work seeing the same people every day. Ideally, you enjoy spending time with your workplace acquaintances, and you can work together well. But even the strongest relationships have frayed ends, and you (usually!) don’t get to choose the people you work with. Eventually, there will be conflict.

A hectic project may bring out the choler, or your teammate may have a contradictory work style to yours. Maybe you and your boss don’t see eye-to-eye on your salary negotiation, or maybe someone simply keeps eating your lunch. No matter what form it may appear in, workplace conflict is unavoidable.

However, conflict is not always something negative. Conflict can be a catalyst for growth. According to organizational communication scholars Stanley Deetz and Sheryl Stevenson:

“(a) conflict is natural; (b) conflict is good and necessary; and (c) most conflicts are based on real differences” -Deetz and Stevenson (1986)

With help from leadership and workplace experts across the globe, we’ll examine the nature of conflict, recognize that conflict doesn’t have to be hostile, and learn how to effectively navigate the murky waters of workplace conflict.

Conflict itself isn’t a bad thing

As the aforementioned communication scholars have noted, conflict is both natural and necessary. It’s impossible to imagine a group of people in any setting that won’t eventually have a difference of opinion and clash.

“As with any place full of interpersonal relationships, a workplace can be rife with a wide range of conflicts. There are the work-specific problems related to promotions, salary disparity, lack of recognition for achievement, or shared responsibility among a team. There are also more general issues with personal space and privacy; and then there are plain old personality conflicts.” –Rita Friedman, Career Coach

The first instinct many have is to avoid the conflict and hope it passes so as not to create a hostile environment. Yet this denies an opportunity for growth and understanding. By leaving the cause of a conflict in the dark, a solution can never come to light. Imagine a colleague always talks over you in meetings, leaving your ideas on the sidelines. By staying silent, you may never get your chance to have your voice heard.

Libby Calaby believes without a strong leader willing to step in as an unbiased adjudicator, a team will eventually tear itself apart. A third party can help, but an understanding that conflict is necessary and that it doesn’t need to be antagonistic can empower you to take charge.

Conflict doesn’t have to be hostile

The biggest myth of conflict is that conflict is always a hostile act. You don’t need to call your coworker out in front of everyone and put them on the spot or come up with some elaborate revenge plot.

Think of conflict simply as a disagreement. A conflict may sound severe but we have disagreements all the time, right? If I want to go out for tacos but you’d rather get a pizza, that’s not such a big deal, is it? We may have a little debate about the merits of each, and ultimately both of us won’t get our way, but that’s not something cataclysmic.

Putting conflict into this perspective makes it easier to handle conversations a bit more easily. Nexxt’s Alexander Richardson offers the example of negotiations with your boss. You may want something from your boss, a raise, or a day off, and assume your boss is against you. You may believe yourself to be in conflict with your boss, and you may be right, but that doesn’t mean you’re at odds. Think of the opportunity as negotiation and you’ll get the best results.

How to handle workplace conflicts

With a better understanding that conflict is necessary for growth and that it doesn’t need to be aggressive, how can we handle workplace conflicts in a respectful manner? The experts at Small Biz Viewpoints, Robert Half, and Advanced Leadership Consulting each have their ideas on how to handle the process. These tips fall into three broad categories to get you started.

1. Be proactive

Don’t let a conflict fester or snowball out of control. You can often stop conflict before it happens by checking in with your peers and asking for simple feedback, writes Carl Robinson of Advanced Leadership Consulting.

He adds that, while recognizing conflict is inevitable, you want to establish conflict resolution procedures in advance. “Think of the procedures as ground rules for behavior within and outside the team. Don’t wait for the conflict to happen before establishing ground rules for navigating conflict.”

2. Be respectful

Stick to the facts and don’t make a conflict feel personal. Keep the argument on the issue at hand. This prevents the other party from immediately feeling defensive or attacked, and they’ll be far more willing to listen to what you have to say.

“Be mindful during the resolution process, you should use neutral terms and display open body language with all of the employees involved. For this reason, you should focus on the events and behaviors instead of the personalities.” -Small Biz Viewpoints

3. Compromise

Chances are, you won’t reach a perfect solution for both parties involved. Learning how to compromise is key. While it may feel like you’re conceding or giving up, learning how to give and take is vital for growth and to move past a disagreement. Robert Half believes “[D]iplomacy is based on tradeoffs and finding an acceptable middle ground. Aim to create a win-win situation where both parties walk away gaining something.”

Wrap up

Even in the best company culture, even if you adore your coworkers, conflicts will happen. Keeping perspective in these conflicts is necessary to gain an understanding and come to an amicable solution. You may not always “win” your conflicts, but by realizing that conflict is necessary and can be positive, and understanding how to handle conflicts, you’ll come away without losing or damaging your workplace relationships. But either way, don’t eat your coworkers’ lunch. That’s just impolite.

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Making The Most Of Your Holiday Job Search

With Thanksgiving and various winter holidays approaching, it may seem that the professional world is entering hibernation mode. It is a common belief that as the calendar year ends, hiring slows to an icy crawl as well. But just because the weather is getting cold, does that mean there is a hiring freeze as well?

There doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus on this myth, at least, according to the experts. CareerSideKick believes November and December are the two worst months to apply for jobs (though you should keep trying anyway!) as new hiring budgets come into play into the new year and fewer employees are on vacation in January.

TheBalanceCareers believes the opposite to be true. With less competition (often due to job seekers assuming companies aren’t hiring) and more holiday networking opportunities abound, the holidays are a superb time to find a new position. There may be hidden benefits as well, like potential holiday time off and extra money for the holidays themselves.

TopResume found many of the holiday hiring myths factual, but just as many to be fictional. Companies may be too busy to hire due to end-of-the-year commitments and deadlines and a lack of applicants. However, philosophically there is no reason to wait until spring to make a new hire, and there aren’t too many temporary hires that a permanent worker won’t be hired.

“After looking at all of the evidence, the jury cannot decide. On one hand, temporary hiring speeds up tremendously during the holidays — upwards of 100,000 temporary jobs are available at major corporations. On the other hand, there are fewer qualified candidates and less incentive for hiring managers to fill their open positions, so some may wait until the new year to resume their search for candidates.” -TopResume

Nevertheless, all the experts agree on one aspect: keep applying! There are still jobs out there, and as previously mentioned, fewer individuals apply at this time of year. If you’re determined to use the holiday season to your advantage, here are some of the most valuable tips:

Networking

It seems obvious, but networking is a year-round job in and of itself. But the holiday season actually offers plenty of seasonal options to make the process easier.

Have holiday parties coming up? Use those to your advantage! The holidays are one of the busiest seasons for social gatherings, and even just mentioning to your peers you’re looking for a job can start the process. Accept any invites you may get to maximize the number of contacts you can get in touch with. No matter what holidays you celebrate, generosity is a common theme.

This is also the perfect time of year to send holiday cards. Firsthand’s Jane Hurst had this to say:

“Everyone loves to receive handwritten notes—and they make strong and lasting impressions—so take the extra time to write notes to old friends you haven’t spoken with in a while, ex-colleagues, even relatives. You never know who might lead you to your next job interview.” -Hurst

Clean up your documents

Even if you believe your job search will slow down, there are ways to keep busy. The end of the year is the perfect time to tweak your important documents—no need to wait for spring cleaning.

Go over your resume and cover letters to make sure everything is up to date. Have you acquired any new skills or certifications but forgotten to add them thanks to the daily grind? This is the ideal time to add them to your resume. Make sure to tidy up any errors or misspellings as well, and do your best to keep the language action-oriented and show tangible results.

This is also a great time to reconnect with your references and make sure you have their information up to date (as well as their permission!).

“It’s both considerate and professional to ask to use someone as a reference—and important to let him or her know what you’ve been up to.” -The Muse’s Stacey Lastoe

Will you use the holidays to volunteer or find temporary work? Now is the time to add those experiences to your documents. Even if you aren’t actively looking and applying in November and December, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running in January and February.

Research and prepare contacts

The coming new year is always a time for introspection, and this applies to your career search as well. Take time to think about what experiences you’ve liked in your career journey and what you want in your next adventure. Take the time to brainstorm and come up with a plan.

The truth is many hiring managers will either be on vacation or busy with end-of-the-year tasks during the holiday season. That may make it hard to get in touch with the right people if you’re looking for your dream job. But there is plenty of work to be done that can get you in touch with the right people.

The Muse’s Stacey Lastoe believes this is a great time to get the ball rolling. Take the time to research the organizations you’d like to apply for and find the best people to get in touch with. Spend some time on LinkedIn and company websites to find the right people to connect with and start preparing your emails or direct messages.

Wrap up

The holidays are a great time to take some time to yourself and enjoy the company of friends and family while resetting your mental health, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be proactive in your job search. Many companies are still hiring, and with less competition around, you may get more opportunities thanks to your diligence. The holidays provide an ideal chance to prepare yourself for the next stage of your career, whether that’s an active search, finding a temporary opportunity, or simply setting yourself up for success in the spring.

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Writing Pitfalls To Avoid On Your Resume

You’re writing your resume, and you’d like to make your accomplishments stand out. You think to yourself, “How can I spice this up and get the manager’s attention?” You think of some of your favorite workplace-related films and the cool business lingo you’ve heard the actors throw around. You decide to call yourself a ‘rockstar’ at sales.

The hiring manager sees this, sighs, and moves on.

Just as there are words that can help you stand out or get through resume processing tools, there are plenty of words that might seem clever but actually hurt your first impression. Resume.com believes that not only can an employer learn about your skills and qualifications but also your communication skills and personality.

The experts at Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monster each have their list of words to avoid on your resume. We combine these into three categories of pitfalls to avoid before your next job search.

1. Overused buzzwords

We’ve all seen movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and Glengarry Glen Ross where we see actors playing suave businesspeople comfortably dropping impressive-sounding jargon and we want to emulate. Maybe you believe that your thought leadership created an ecosystem of synergy, causing everyone to buy-in. Perhaps we’ll get off on the next exit and discuss these findings at the next junction. But for most managers, buzzwords like these are overused and mostly used for padding.

In a compilation of most hated resume words by AvidCareerist’s Donna Svei, the buzzword “dynamic” made the list. Polled career advisor Bob McIntosh had this to say on the word,

“Your resume and interview presence should give a “dynamic” meta-message. If they don’t, using “dynamic” on your resume won’t get you an interview or a job offer.”

A common mistake is trying to make an entry-level job sound much more exciting than it actually was by throwing out jargon and synonyms, but a skilled hiring manager knows all the tricks. It’s much better to be clear, concise, and direct.

2. Telling instead of showing

The above words can be all sizzle, no steak, and fall into our second pitfall: telling instead of showing. Monster uses the phrase ‘hardworking’ as an example. Anyone can say they are a hard worker, and most organizations would like to assume every candidate they consider is willing to work hard.

Instead of saying it, use your resume to show how much of a hard worker you can be. Use examples and numerical data to back up your claim. What hard work have you done in your career, and how can you show it to the organization? ‘Detail-oriented’ is another common case. It’s a trait employers want every candidate to have, and it will make every mistake you make in the process more glaring.

Other common words and phrases falling into this pitfall include ‘accomplished’, ‘people-person’, ‘team-player, and ‘expert’. You want to avoid cliches whenever possible, but if you’re ever in a situation where you feel like there is no better way to express your point, make sure to back up your point with clear, expressive examples. Almost every career option will need to work with other individuals; don’t call yourself a team player. Instead, tell the employer how you led a team to increase brand awareness by 13% over the last year, and explain how you did it.

3. Unnecessary information

Hardworking and detail-oriented aren’t the only unnecessary words or phrases that make up a good portion of resumes. Once you’ve finished describing your experience and education, it’s easy to fill up extra blank space with phrases like ‘references available on request’ or ‘salary negotiable.’

These types of statements apply to every candidate and don’t deserve space on your resume. They can also make you look overeager; traditionally, salary discussions shouldn’t happen until later in the hiring process, and not being negotiable would be a strange stance.

In addition, anything resembling an objective summary is unnecessary. The content of your resume should make your skills apparent.

“If your resume is self-explanatory, there’s no need to take up valuable space with anything that’s redundant. Also, if you’re submitting a cover letter with your resume, that should be more than sufficient in addressing your objective for your application,” says Glassdoor writer Caroline Gray.

Wrap up

Just as knowing what to include on a resume is critical, the flip side of the coin is knowing what not to include. Even seemingly harmless buzzwords or small phrases may keep you from getting an interview.

Thankfully, armed with this knowledge, you can make necessary corrections. Use action-oriented verbs and phrases to show off those traits and accomplishments you’re proud of. Show initiative and show that you were the cause of success, not just ‘responsible’ for things. The aforementioned experts above have informative lists of examples of words that do help your resume and can be a great place to start.

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Five Ways Volunteering Experience Can Help Your Job Search

When applying for new positions, you’ll often be competing for an employers’ interest with dozens, or even hundreds, of other resumes. While daunting at first, understanding this can be a strength. You know you need to find a way to stand out and get the attention of the hiring managers, but what are the best ways to achieve that goal?

In addition to our other Resume Must-Haves For 2021, one of the best ways to make your resume pop is to highlight your volunteering experience. Not only is volunteering a great way to help out in your community, but did you know that LinkedIn’s research found that one out of every five hiring managers hired a candidate because of their volunteering experience?

If you’re looking to add that extra pizazz to your resume while doing some extra work you can feel good about, here are five reasons volunteering is valuable to your job search.

1. Volunteering allows you to learn new skills and earn tangible work experience

In your job search, a position may be searching for skills you have limited experience with or haven’t had the opportunity to gain in past positions. Alternatively, you may be a recently-graduated college student or someone entering a new career field in need of industry experience. Volunteering allows you to pick up these skills, and maybe some others you hadn’t considered. For example, being a volunteer at a science museum can not only improve your communication skills but can increase your knowledge on sustainability and green technology.

Help Guide expresses how these concrete skills can be gained and honed, even if you aren’t being paid. “You might feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.”

2. Volunteering allows you to address resume gaps and can turn them into advantages

No matter the reasons they occur, the truth is that many employers view long or frequent resume gaps as a red flag for a candidate. Volunteering shows that you were engaged during these gaps and not only working to improve your skills but also using your time to help others.

Remember: just because this form of work is unpaid doesn’t mean that it isn’t work. Just as an unpaid internship is a valuable experience-building tool, so too is a less-structured form of volunteer work. Adding volunteering to your resume fills in some of those gaps while showing you used your time wisely.

3. Volunteering is one of the best ways to grow your network

Networking is ultimately the single most priceless tool to enhance both your career search and your overall career development. Mac’s List mentions volunteering as one of the foremost ways to forge relationships for the ‘hidden job market’.

“You don’t need to be a scion of industry, an heiress, or the boss’ son-in-law. You don’t even need to have a particularly strong relationship with prospective hiring managers. Even second- or third-degree connections give you a huge advantage in your job search.” (Mac’s List)

By volunteering, not only will you bump elbows with higher ranking folk in that industry, but you’ll be meeting people with similar passions and goals to you.

If you’re new to a field, this goes double. You’ll be able to get your feet wet and see if this career path or field is right for you, and you’ll be able to ask questions to the correct people. You may not gain a job directly through your volunteer organization, but you’ll gain valuable contacts that can last throughout your career journey.

4. Volunteering allows you to explore and showcase your passions

It’s easy enough to talk about your passions in a cover letter. Anyone can say “I am passionate about higher education” or “I am dedicated to the medical industry.” But volunteer work allows you to ‘put your money where your mouth is.’

A hiring manager will be able to see that you go beyond words when you have documented volunteer experiences. This can give you an edge over equally qualified candidates and land you the position.

Volunteering may even introduce you to new passions. You may take a volunteering opportunity for the above reasons and ultimately fall in love with that field or type of work. Volunteering can even introduce you to career fields you’d never considered in the past!

5. Volunteering shows who you are as a person

Tying into the above point, volunteer experience lets a hiring manager get a better idea of you as a person. Ultimately, volunteering should be done for the right reasons: helping others and being involved in a community. These traits show that you’re a dedicated person willing to put in the extra effort. It can display leadership abilities you may not have been able to showcase in your previous positions.

Volunteering shows you’re looking for more than your next paycheck. You use your time to assist others and grow as a person. Employers want someone they believe will not only do their best work but be invested in the position as well.

Wrap up

Not only is volunteering your time a great way to give back to your community and get more involved in your passions, but it makes you a more attractive professional candidate as well. These five benefits are just a taste of how vital volunteering experience can be. Do you already have volunteer experience and want to learn the best ways to showcase it on your resume? Our friends at Indeed and Zety can show you how!

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