Why Thanksgiving Weekend Is Prime Time For Your Job Search

Thanksgiving weekend is not the time to completely check out of your job search. It fact, in between football, shopping, and having thirds of pumpkin pie, you should carve some time to take advantage of some of the opportunities that are unique to the weekend. Here are three reasons Thanksgiving weekend is stuffed full of great opportunities for your job search:

Thanksgiving Dinner is a Great Place to Do Some Light Networking

Family dinners are a great opportunity to meet with family members and friends that you may not get to see all the time. While you are catching up, don’t be afraid to do a little bit of light networking. Let them know that you are looking for new career opportunities. You may end up finding that a friend or family member knows someone who is hiring, or someone who can help you. At the very least, you may get some useful advice.

Friday is a Perfect Day to Connect to Target Companies

If you have been looking for a perfect time to connect with a target company to ask questions or inquire about openings, the day after Thanksgiving is a great day to do it. There are a surprising number of companies that are open Friday, even if it’s just a skeleton staff. Employees at target companies may have a little extra time to talk, meaning that you can get more than the yes or no answer you’d get on a regular workday. You may gain a great connection at the company with a simple phone call.

A Lot of Hiring Occurs Between Thanksgiving and New Years

It’s a myth that hiring doesn’t occur during the holidays. In fact, hiring between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day tends to be as high, if not actually a little bit higher, than the rest of the year. Companies get new budgets during the latter part of a year, meaning that they may be looking to hire for newly created positions that will begin in the New Year. A lot of these jobs may be posted around Thanksgiving time, including throughout the weekend.