We're a week into the traditional start of the holiday season. If you're among the millions of Americans who are out of work, the coming weeks will test your mood amid the joy and anticipation that come with the season.

Compounding that is the perception that employers slow down or stop their hiring efforts for the final few weeks of the year.

Double bummer?

No! All the more reason to kick your job search efforts up a notch by taking these two approaches:

Catch Employers While They're Not Paying Attention

Most other job seekers will be slowing down their efforts, and many hiring managers are more interested in winding up the year and focusing on the holidays. That makes it a good time to zig while everyone else zags. If you're targeting a healthy company, even if it doesn't have a suitable opening, it's a good time to send a resume just to introduce yourself. You never know if you'll catch the hiring manager in a moment of holiday cheer—eggnog-induced or not.

Socialize with a Purpose

With holidays come holiday gatherings, which provide job seekers with more chances to meet people who might know of job openings somewhere. (Just think of it as another way to network.) To be prepared, have copies of your resume handy to give to potential contacts. Or, at least have a pen and paper on hand, or a notepad phone app, to jot down contact information.

The holidays can be a trying time if you're unemployed. But maintaining or stepping up your job search efforts can keep you from falling into a holiday funk, and might propel you into a new job sooner than you had been thinking.

RELATED LINKS
3 Reasons to Keep Job Searching Through the Holidays
What's Your Job Search Strategy?
'Tis the Season to Fine Tune Your Resume

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