#11: Don't sleep on December

Break through the illusion that no one is hiring & all the good jobs are gone already. Why getting conversations started now sets you up for a strong 2023.

Reframe 

Welcome to the 4th Quarter. 

This is traditionally the slowest time for recruitment. 

Holiday parties & travel happen. 

Teams coast in Business As Usual mode awaiting bonuses to hit bank accounts. 

So no point in interviewing right? 

Not exactly.

Now can be a good time for you to engage in low stakes conversations with industry peers & recruiters to see who is doing what for the new year. 

Who knows? 

Maybe you secure yourself a good opportunity before it becomes public. It’s a win for you and a win for the company. Do you think you’ll have more competition now or when the next good piece of economic news hits? 

December is typically when those conversations happen.  Last year at this time, I put together a hiring day for a client looking for solid Sr. Java engineers for their payments platform. The people they hired from me got salary increases again in February along with the rest of the company, on top of the increases from their initial job offers. The engineers secured good jobs and my client delivered results sooner than expected. The ball gets rolling now. 

It typically takes about 1 month from the first interview to offer with my clients in financial services. Lately, I’ve been seeing this process happen in 1 week for the right person.

You just have to know who to ask and where to look. 

Start with an independent recruiter specialized in your industry or a recruiter who works at a specific company & message them. 

What does that look like? 

“Hi Jen, 

I’m happy at work now and would like to be on your radar for good opportunities in 2023. If any of the managers you work with are building <insert thing here> or having problems with <insert problem you solve well here>, I can possibly help. Let’s get on the same page with what a good opportunity looks like for me. I’m available ____ or ____ from ____ to ____. Please let me know if any of those options work.

Thanks, 

<Your Name & contact info>” 

Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

You can book time directly with me here whenever you're ready.

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NYC

Ever wonder what it’s like to need a parka indoors in Orlando, FL? 

I found out over the weekend on the way to the Orlando airport after visiting my family over Thanksgiving.

This special event edition takes us out of NYC to the Gaylord Palms resort & convention center. 

They host a special exhibit, ICE!, every year displaying elaborate ice sculptures from favorite Christmas movies. These are not your typical clear sculptures. They used bright, vivid colors and texture to bring the characters to life. The theme for this year, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas", is a personal family favorite. A must see for us. 

We bundled up in bulky blue parkas into a controlled 9° F event space. Moving through different scenes from the story from plotting moves on Mount Crumpet to the Grinch's heart growing 3 sizes bigger.

The experience ended with a ride down a slide made of ice!  

From ICE! at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, FL

Check it out here

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Running 

What do you do when you’re training for a race and the Holidays hit? 

With training in flight for the Tokyo marathon, every run counts. Every run has a purpose. 

The more focused miles I run, in different conditions with different levels of energy, the better. Preparing the mind as much as the body. 

The Holidays give you an opportunity to stress test how your system holds up. 

Is the run a must have or a nice to have? 

Here’s what I do during the Holidays when one off parties & commitments ramp up: 

Plan for a run first thing in the morning. (Preferably before everyone else is up.)  

Pick a route that excites you. (What would you want to stop to look at?) 

Set out a bottle of water to drink & lay out your clothes the night before to make the decision easy to follow through with. (Systems > goals) 

Treat yourself when you get back. (I stop at Juice Press for a pomegranate recharge protein shake with MCT oil or have a chocolate protein bar.)

The biggest thing to know is not to panic or press too hard to "make up" for a missed run.

If you notice the infinite running styles of people as you are running too, you'll quickly realize that everyone runs their own race in their own way. And most finish their runs just fine.

You don't have to do everything by the book with expert form to be successful.

Thank you for reading along.

Looking forward to seeing your messages & comments.

Let's all keep moving,

Jen