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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4 Lessons Athletes Can Carry into the Business World

At NexGoal, we choose to tap into the network of former athletes because of the highly transferable skills they’ve acquired throughout their athletic tenure. Whether they competed on a professional, collegiate, or high school level, these athletes understand what it takes to succeed. Employers want to fill their organization with employees possessing these high character traits. Knowing how to thrive individually and as a team, and having hard work and dedication ingrained in their DNA, athletes today have a real competitive edge when entering the business world.

Perseverance & Competitive Drive

Athletes are continually facing new challenges, but much to their chagrin, it’s impossible to win them all. Despite this, they are built to overcome losses to tough competition and still find ways to improve when they are on the winning side. Under demoralizing circumstances, athletes maintain a high level of intensity and determination they believe will pay off. What others may view as a setback, the tenacious athlete will consider as a new obstacle to overcome. To avoid getting discouraged, setting immediate, manageable steps is vital.

Former Green Bay Packer Tony Moll credits his athletic background for their’ roll with the punches’ business model, “making audibles left and right.” Discover how Moll turned his winery hobby into a successful business venture through the lessons he learned on the football field. 

Optimism & Confidence

Athletes believe in their abilities to produce significant results, especially under pressure or when the odds are stacked against them. Basketball legend Michael Jordan never distressed over missed opportunities but instead focused on performing his best in the present moment. 

           “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” -Michael Jordan

While there needs to be a balance between optimism and realistic goals, athletes will certainly not lack confidence and will provide the ‘self-starter’ mentality your organization covets. Inclined to accepting constructive criticism, their tenacity and hopefulness allows them to quickly correct course and prove their worth in the next presented opportunity. 

Leadership & Communication

An athlete’s qualities often place them in a natural leadership position as their work ethic and confidence begin to set the standard for other employees. Knowing the power of being a unified team versus being a group, athlete employees promote team chemistry and consistent communication. They are energizing, organized, and resourceful when it comes to their job performance, and therefore serve as natural motivators in the office. Even the more reserved athletes are used to believing in their abilities and therefore lead by their actions when the words are not enough.

Preparation & Consistency

Athletes operate under a goal-oriented, disciplined business approach that ensues consistent job performance and refined skills. Through intense preparation and a commitment to learning, the athlete’s strategic mindset keeps them relevant in a competitive market. Athletes don’t believe in such a thing as over-preparing, and having knowledgeable employees means having powerful employees. 

Throughout their athletic career, they have grown accustomed to balancing their commitments to academics, training, and family and friends their entire lives. Through effective time management and intense focus, athletes can concentrate their energy on the task-at-hand and keep their priorities’ in-check’ to be successful.

Wrap Up

If you are actively seeking quality employees for your organization who you can feel confident relying on, get in contact with us today to discover how we can work together! We utilize industry-leading technology and our pipeline of candidates to find your ideal employee. 

“What impressed me about NexGoal was the time they spent up front, understanding the core competencies required for our roles. We receive candidates that have the intangible winning qualities like hunger, drive, and passion.” -Bret Anderson, Millennium Labs.

If you are a former or current athlete, we hope this article helped you uncover your potential for your post-athletic career and how the skills you’ve acquired can transfer into the business world. Find confidence in how these desirable traits can make up for other areas your resume may lack.

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Job Searching Tips To Ignore in 2021

With the abundance of career advice outlets and career resources, it can be challenging to know what guidance is most applicable to you and your status. Regardless of your situation, there is sure to be outdated or irrelevant information that crosses your screen. Our friends at Monster recently revealed five common thoughts and strategies you’re better off disregarding. We breakdown a few examples below:

Keeping Your Resume Brief

Have you ever been instructed to limit your resume‘s content to one page? Throughout my collegiate experience, I had professors offer that same advice. However, I had other professors that insisted job-seekers fill two complete pages and professors who did not oppose any length. So, what’s the correct direction to take? If one of your primary concerns is a hiring manager’s thoughts on your resume’s length, it will serve you best to reevaluate your priorities. 

If you possess extensive experience that applies to a job description at-hand, it would be foolish to forego mentioning acquired skills due to a fear of losing your reader’s attention. Don’t cross over to a second page for the wrong reasons, i.e., detailing responsibilities rather than accomplishments. While you never want to stretch words or embellish on your achievements within a role, you should always reflect on any experience you believe positions you as most qualified for the opportunity. 

Believing A Great Resume Will Get You Hired

A thorough, compatible resume may land you a job interview, but it will not serve as a golden ticket to getting you hired. Careful research, strong presentation, and maintaining a positive attitude are the keys to landing the job. It is your responsibility to live up to the initial impression you placed in your interviewer’s head. No matter how qualified you may feel you are, you must come prepared to answer some tough questions. Just as you will come with questions prepared and ‘holes’ needing filled when it comes to the job description, your interviewer will do the same with your work history.  

Only Sending a Thank-You Note

No, I am not insinuating that you shouldn’t send a note of appreciation following your job interview, but as Bettina Seidman helps reveal, it shouldn’t stop at just that. Your follow-up letter should reiterate your interest in the job, express your appreciation for their time, emphasize why you are the most qualified candidate, and highlight an experience that prepared you for the role. If your letter does not address the question, “Why should we hire you?”, then you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice in how the employer will remember you.

Following Your Passion

Do the experts really say ‘don’t follow your passion’? Not quite. The issue occurs when people become deadset on their passion and lose sight of reality. Saying ‘Follow Your Passion’ is one of the most misguided principles extended to the common job seeker. Passions in and outside of the business world often adjust in their hierarchy or change entirely, and sometimes these passions “do not serve as a viable source of income.” Catherine Conlan with Monster offers up an example of former NASDAQ-listed CEO Heidi Nazarudin choosing to pursue her passion for photography as a hobby rather than a primary source of income. This allows the best opportunity to live comfortably and still indulge in your passions. From there, who knows, maybe you can seize the opportunity to grow your network and turn your passion into something more prominent.

Wrap Up

The challenge to ‘adapt with the times’ is magnified now more than ever as we progress through 2021. As it goes with any well-intentioned guidance, you must approach any traditional tips and tricks with caution. Not every piece of advice will be inapplicable to your situation. More often than not, you will find it is time to push back on the old-age foundations.

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