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Many people defer career thoughts and actions until after the New Year. That’s unfortunate because, whether you’re employed, self-employed, or unemployed, December may be most potent.
Many articles have been written on the topics I’ll discuss here. Here, on each, I try to cram all the best advice I can think of into one short article.
Your holiday letter. I like holiday letters better than the usual puerile holiday cards---as long as they’re under 300 words, only modestly self-congratulatory, and have a hand-written personalized sentence or two. The holiday letter reminds people of your existence and important changes in your life and, if you’re looking for better work or more customers, subtly lets them know that. Why under 300 words? Because beyond that, the letter probably includes things like that your kid’s Little League team’s record was 15-6. Most readers would rather spend their time doing something other than reading that. You might, however, stick some small homemade goodie in the envelope like a piece of homemade fudge, a poem, or a link to some under-two-minute YouTube video you made. HERE is the video I’ll append to my holiday e-letter this year. I much prefer to send an e-letter than a snail-mailed one because it’s easier and I can insert a clickable link.
Holiday parties. This advice is tired but true: At a workplace holiday party, you must behave as at a business meeting except that the conversation shouldn’t mainly be about work. Especially if you’re trying to derive career benefit from the party, as in all interactions, talk roughly half the time, in short utterances (10 to 45 seconds), and listen for and ask questions to identify what the other person cares about: work, family, sports, politics, pop culture, health?
Holiday presents. Some workplace gifts that work are homemade yummies or crafties you made or got from Etsy, a personalized mug, or a gift card for a place the recipient would likely shop, for example, Amazon, eBay, WalMart, Netflix, or Starbucks. Avoid luxury retailers: That $25 gift certificate will barely pay for their gift wrapping. Neiman Marcus’s priciest gift wrap option: $750!
Slowed workplace pace. At many workplaces, things slow down during the week or three before Christmas. If you’re a job seeker, it’s a good time to email or, better, to phone target employers for an informational interview. They’re more likely to be at their desk, not swamped, and more likely to, in the Christmas spirit, feel generous and take your call.
Holiday temp work. These rarely turn into a permanent job. For that to happen, you need to be top of the heap and work at an organization that is growing so that after the holiday rush, they’re still hiring, for example, at Amazon, Apple, or a hot fashion retailer such as Maurice's. If you do want to try to convert that low-level holiday temp job into a higher-level, more permanent position, you’ll have to do more than just do your job well. For example, ask the sort of questions that an executive at the company might ask your boss, “Might it be more efficient if we did it this way?” “What changes do you see the company making in the next year?” and, “How could I make your life easier?” Also, if you’re enjoying working there, say something like, “I love working here. Have any advice on how to boost my chances of getting a permanent job in (insert marketing, corporate sales, accounting, supply chain, whatever?) after the holiday rush?”
Reinvigoration. The holidays are a good time for reinvigoration, as long as you don’t force yourself to go to lots of parties you’d rather not attend, get presents for so many people, let alone presents that’ll take will require a lot of shopping time. Do take a little time to slow down and enjoy the simple things that should define the Christmas spirit: love, generosity, and perhaps reflection perhaps on how you can become a better self, both in and out of the workplace.
Marty Nemko's bio is in Wikipedia.
