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Job Hunting Over The Holidays

Sima Kumar New year, Christmas Time...

Job Hunting Over The Holidays

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Christmas is 12 days away. Surprisingly - this is NOT the 12 days of Christmas - that is something entirely different. As everyone rushes around towards their end of year goals and professional targets, going into work negotiating the effects of last nights party, it can be a difficult time of year for those hunting for work. The stress of dwindling savings that seem to vanish more rapidly due to a Christmas shopping list hacked against the stress of not working can make this time of year not so merry and bright for job seekers.

Whereas it is true, hiring managers aren’t focussing efforts on new recruits from now to January, this doesn’t mean there aren’t productive steps a job seeker can be taking to set themselves up for success. Here are five tips to help you enter the New Year ready to tackle the full-time job of your dreams!

2018 via Instagram @jasminedowling

  1. Update your resume. Even if you don’t have a lot of job experience, there are multiple aspects of presenting your resume to a potential employer to show your potential and ability to work. List volunteer work, if you’re a recent graduate list current projects that included meeting KPI’s to showcase you understand accountability and working towards set goals. If you’re transitioning careers list courses you’ve taken which show a potential employer that professional development is something you have taken initiative with. If you’re still using a Hotmail email address from when you were 17, upgrade to a more sophisticated and grown-up Gmail address.

 

  1. Research the companies you want to work for. A lot of the questions the team at Directory ask new recruits is why do they want to work for a particular brand. Be prepared. Working in luxury fashion is more than selling a handbag, watch or a pair of shoes, it’s selling a lifestyle. Know the DNA of the brand and your chances of nailing an interview increase exponentially.

 

  1. Get your interview outfit game ready. Luxury fashion interviews are either with heritage brands, legacy brands or new brands that have a specific aesthetic. Take some time while out shopping for gifts or negating the post-Christmas sales to really look at the details of presentation of the retail staff working at the brands you aspire to work with. Whereas your budget may not accommodate a Gucci pantsuit or a Dolce and Gabbana look from top to toe, there is a multitude of high street and contemporary luxury brands that will be able to support the aesthetic of these brands without you having to claim bankruptcy.

 

  1. Get on LinkedIn and connect with a recruiter. Even with a basic account, you can make direct contact. Look up specific recruiters via social media and drop them a note on the channel they are most active on. Find a way to make an impression so the recruiter can experience what you mean when you say you’re a ‘go-getter’ or a ‘self-starter’ on your resume. Once they experience it, pitching you to a client becomes organic and authentic. Because they can speak to it with a real-life example they have experienced.

 

  1. Set a ‘back to work’ date on your calendar even if you don’t have a job. This is the day your holiday season ends and you are actively looking for your next opportunity. We all know resolutions are broken as easily as they are made. Creating accountability for yourself to begin the job of looking for your next full-time job will create a healthy habit and keep you out of the January doldrums.

 

  1. Bonus: Be willing to have a side hustle until the ideal opportunity comes through. Most of the people working as temps in retail on the Directory roster aren’t students. Most are either in a career pivot or transitioning from a corporate job with a different set of responsibilities but still need steady work 4-5 days a week to make ends meet while they build their entrepreneurial dreams. If this is the case for you… consider temping. Unless you have a trust fund.

 

If you are interested in a career in luxury fashion or making space in your life to start a new career path in the new year contact us today. Send an email with your CV and cover letter to info@directory-group.com