Why it pays to job hunt during the festive season

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Many folk assume recruitment ceases in the period running up to Christmas and then between this holiday and the New Year.

This simply isn’t true, and it can be a useful advantage for those who do keep trying to find the job that’s right for them.

This is due to the fact that many people will, temporarily, have removed themselves from the job-hunting scene. Therefore those who do still seek out opportunities and then apply may be battling a reduced number of competitors to gain any position.

The beginning, not the end

Part of the assumption that there is little use in trying to find a position around this time of year is that many people see the festive season as the end of something. They believe it draws the year to a close and therefore many businesses are winding down or finishing up.

Let’s turn this idea on its head and say that this time of year is actually the start of something – and that’s the year to come.

It stands to reason then that many practices, and veterinary associated professions and businesses, will be keen to fill any available positions, bring their teams up to full strength, and would love to do so ready to plunge straight into 2023.

Interview improvements

There's another key advantage of looking for employment around this time of year: for many businesses, especially between Christmas and New Year, user levels might be lower than normal. Their main customers may even be operating at the minimum, individuals and families may also be taking a break themselves – many outside of the UK, or away from home, and therefore have no need of their local veterinary services during the period.

This provides the job seeker with a useful opportunity, should they make it through to the interview stages around this time of year. The people who conduct these interviews might be able to devote more time, rather than tending to rush through them, or to be interrupted by emergency calls during a typical busy day throughout the rest of the year.

It’s likely that your interview will, therefore, be slightly more relaxed in tone, yet more focused, than it might be at other times.

Short list

It’s also possible that interviews will be conducted early in the New Year. At this time, therefore, you have the opportunity (again which many holidaying folk will fail to grasp) to make sure you are on any short list of candidates to be seen.

Through considering all of the above points you’ll quickly see that it does pay to search out opportunities in any of the veterinary and associated professions during the festive season.

One final word of caution: with all the distractions around you, it is very easy to slip into a holiday frame of mind. If you are offered the chance to be interviewed at this time of year, do make sure your business-head is fully engaged in the process.