Advice For Job Hunting Over The Holidays

Could the Christmas holidays be the ideal time to start looking for a new job in construction engineering? In this post we share advice for getting ahead of the competition: other people thinking the same thing…

The end of the year is often a catalyst for starting a job hunt. Perhaps that Christmas bonus wasn’t quite as generous as you had hoped, or may be your New Year resolution is to progress your career, find a better work-life balance, or get stuck into a new challenge.

For specialist technical recruiters like ourselves, we often return to the office after the Christmas break to find a record number of new registrations on our website and an inbox full of CVs from construction engineering candidates. Not that we mind!

However, that does mean that it’s competitive. If you thought Christmas was the ideal time to brush up your CV, update your LinkedIn profile and registrar with a recruitment agency, so did many other people looking for similar roles to you.

Factor in that for many companies hiring is not the first thing on their minds when returning to work in the New Year, and you may find that it’s a bit of an employers market.

But don’t let that put your off. If you’ve got some free time between opening Christmas presents and singing Auld Lang Syne, it is a good opportunity to reassess your career and plan for the future. Here are my tips for using that time effectively:

Assess The Construction Engineering Job Market

While it may be a quiet time of year with many businesses closing for the holidays, it is a good time to assess the job market and see what employers are looking for. As well as searching for current job vacancies you can also make some predications for the New Year. Do some research into the firms you would be interested in working for. Have they signed any new contracts in recent months? Can you predict a requirement in the future for someone with your skills and experience? There’s an opportunity to get in early if you can predict what roles that company will be recruiting for in the next few months.

Overhaul Your CV

Before updating your CV, consider exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re thinking about making a sideways move, or scaling up or down with a move to a larger or smaller company, it makes sense to tailor your CV for the kind of jobs you’re interested in. That means highlighting the relevant skills, qualifications and experience you have that makes you a good fit for these kinds of roles. With an updated CV that paints a clear picture of where you’re heading, you can now register online with recruiters like Energi People.

Update Your Skills

Do you have a skills gap? If the roles you want require skills you currently don’t have now’s a good time to make a plan to get those necessary skills. In some cases you may even find it’s possible to get started in the holidays with an online course. Make sure recruiters and potential employers are aware of any courses or training you’re currently undertaking – if they have a skills gap in that area they may be prepared to consider your application on the basis that you will have the those skills on completion of your training.

Learn How To Use Online Networking Tools

If you’re not already maximising professional online tools like LinkedIn, the holidays are a perfect time to learn how to use them more effectively and get set up. Got a teenager in your house? Enlist their help to get you started! Use the time to brush up your professional profile (LinkedIn tips here) and expand your network. By connecting with former colleagues, following companies that you would like to work for, and joining relevant industry groups – you can open up a digital world of new opportunities.

By following these tips you’ll be a stronger position than other candidates who haven’t used their holiday so productively. If you need any further advice please get in touch on +44 (0) 1252 413080 or by emailing [email protected]

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!