Tis the season to evaluate your career…
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, you might be tempted to relax and embrace the festivities, but why not join the 1 in 20 individuals who are actively searching for new jobs this Christmas? If you want to take the plunge this Christmas, use our 12 days of job searching for a check-in to help see what you’re looking for in your next role. We know it might be tempting to put off your job hunt until after Christmas but, by putting in the work now, you will be able to see the rewards in the New Year.
In this blog, we’re going to be talking about what steps you should take when you’re starting to plan your search for a new role.
Day 1: Reflection
Take time to think about your career. Where has it taken you, and what are your future ambitions? Are you happy? Can you see career progression in your current role? If you’re not 100% happy, make a list of what your non-negotiables are in a job and if they are not all met, try to make a change to amend the problem.
Day 2: Research Opportunities
Even if you like the role that you are in, it’s still always a good idea to see what opportunities are out there and what’s being advertised. This can help give you a better idea of a typical salary being offered, and the progression opportunities in a different role.
Day 3: Assess your skill gaps
You may have a competitive skillset but think about if there are any new skills you’ve acquired since the last time you applied for a job as this can make you more employable; Particularly any skills in the digital space as this is becoming the future. By evaluating which skills you’re lacking you will be able to correct what you are missing, and it will put you one step ahead of your competitors in the job search.
Day 4: Training Opportunities
Learning is life-long, and there is always so much more to learn. The best way to fill any gaps in your knowledge is to look for training. To fill the gaps in your knowledge you can look at online webinars, a conference, or a short course. Adding training courses and qualifications to your CV will always impress potential employers.
The best websites to add these qualifications can be:
- National Careers Service – Hundreds of job profiles to discover, then find a course with online and classroom courses near you to develop your skills.
- Skills for Careers – Have a range of courses, advice, and support that they can offer.
- LinkedIn Learning – This is the best option for creative courses.
- TED-ED – Offer free video lessons on a range of topics.
Day 5: Career Planning
Knowing where you want your career to lead will set you off on the right foot for long-term success. The best way to achieve this is to create a career plan to give you focus on how to achieve your end goal.
A career plan is a list of short- and long-term career goals that are displayed with how you’re going to achieve them. Creating a career plan can help you make decisions on what your next steps can be to make you a strong candidate for the next job you apply for.
To create an effective career plan, use the SMART method to help you identify the goals that you would like to achieve:
- SPECIFIC – Identify your specific goals
- MEASURABLE – Define what your criteria are for each goal
- ATTAINABLE – Your end goal should be within reach so don’t set your goal too high
- RELEVANT – Make sure your milestone and end goal is important and specific to the outcome you would like to achieve
- TIME-BOUND – Set a date you would like these goals to be completed by
Day 6: Certifications
As you’ll have plenty of free time after Christmas, go searching for a certification of your qualifications and any other documentation that backs up your achievements. To make this process easier, keep them in a folder so that it doesn’t take you hours to search for different documentation that you may need.
Don’t expect employers to always take your word. They’re likely to want to see proof of your achievements.
Day 7: Update your CV
With employers typically only spending an average of 6 seconds on your CV, you have very little time to make an impact and grab their attention.
As work experience is one of the most important parts of a CV, you need to have proper structure so employers can look with ease. The best way to lay out the jobs you’ve had is by putting them in reverse chronological order with your most recent job at the top.
Example
WORK EXPERIENCE
Company Name
Recruitment Consultant
Reason for leaving (optional)
10/11/2022- Present
What you achieved/ tasks you did whilst you were working there
On your CV make sure you don’t have any unexplainable gaps, but if you do, make sure you have a reason why there is a career break. Finally, take the time to proofread it to check for any spelling or grammar mistakes.
If you would like to make your CV stand out, click here.
Day 8: Update your cover letter
While you’re updating your CV, you may as well write yourself a new cover letter template as this can speed up the process when you start on a journey of applying for jobs.
You should always update your cover letter as it helps show that you are interested and qualified for the job. Having a customised cover letter can help you highlight your skills and achievements so you can correlate them with the job you’re applying to. Changing up your cover letter every time can minimise the errors that could potentially hurt your chances of getting the job.
Day 9: Update your LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the biggest professional network on the Internet, it can help in reach your professional goals which include finding new jobs and building a professional brand.
- There are 2 million posts, articles and videos published on LinkedIn every day.
- There are 14 million jobs open on LinkedIn.
- 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to source and vet candidates.
The statistics above prove that LinkedIn is the place to be when you want to connect with companies to find jobs.
Your LinkedIn profile acts as an extension of your CV, so candidates with a more detailed LinkedIn profile have a 71% higher chance of getting a job interview.
If an employer likes your CV, they may invite you to an interview.
If you don’t search for jobs on LinkedIn, it may be time to start as they are making the process a whole lot easier for job seekers with alerts for jobs that would be best fit for you and AI assistance.
In 2025 LinkedIn are improving the experience of job searching with the use of AI. It can help you in both the search and the messaging process of finding a job.
AI-Assisted Search – This feature uses AI to match candidates based on qualifications that are listed in the job description but not on CVS.
AI-Assisted Messaging – This feature will help you personalise your messages when connecting with recruiters and other employers.
LinkedIn is also adding an alert for candidates who are actively seeking a new job, you will receive a notification every time a relevant job opportunity is posted.
Day 10: Clean up your social media
With your digital footprint leaving a trail of your data behind on the internet it’s best to be cautious about what you post on social media. When starting your job search it’s a good idea to clean up your social media. Imagine the effect of a potential employer finding an inappropriate photo of you after finding you on Instagram or Facebook. It’s best to search yourself and see what comes up. If there’s anything you don’t like, remove it.
Day 11: Network
Networking is a strategic tool so don’t be afraid to reach out and make connections with professionals in your field. Having just one conversation could help you advance in your career and help develop long-lasting relationships. By developing these relationships, you’ll be able to collaborate with industry professionals.
The best place to network is on LinkedIn.
Day 12: Contact us
If you are serious about a career change, look at some of the jobs that we offer here. Contact one of our recruiters for help as they will be there to help meet your career goals. We can help you take that big next step into your new dream job.
The Christmas season comes and goes in a flash, so use our tips and don’t get overwhelmed while you’re on the job hunt. The steps we’ve given will allow you to make the most of the busy Christmas season whilst still looking into the New Year to see what goals you would like to achieve.
