Top Tips for your Christmas Job Search

Job searchers believe that Christmas is a bad time to search for jobs, but they could not be more wrong! The holiday season brings with it an increase in available jobs as employers are looking for seasonal help, most employers will also be looking to take people on at the beginning of the New Year meaning December is a crucial time to get online and search. Competition for jobs decreases giving you that extra advantage as job seekers take on seasonal jobs instead of long-term employment. Hiring managers use the end of the year to meet their budget and prepare staffing for the New Year. The timing to find a job is perfect.

Christmas parties and Networking- You should regard Christmas parties as an opportunity. Your next boss could be present without you knowing about it, never whine about your current job, listen carefully to the conversation to pick up on leads from your fellow guests. This could open the door to your next job.

Parties and social gatherings can be used as a chance to network if it is done correctly. Holiday parties bring with it a wider range of people that wouldn’t be at your usual gathering. Dress smart, people will be looking at you and wondering who you are and the first impression they get could be your appearance from a distance. Be aware not to consume too much alcohol, stay casual and relaxed. While this could be a great opportunity try not to be aggressive seeking a new role as it will be a turnoff to potential employers.

Your seasonal role could be your next permanent employment - Your seasonal job should be viewed in the same light as a temporary job, if you do well the company may consider keeping you on in a permanent position. Many people enjoy holiday work and find the permanent job they love comes from this. Employers don’t always know that you interested in remaining unless they are told, so speak up and let them know of your interest. If you give the company notice well before the season is over it gives the company time to consider who they will be keeping and to fill out all necessary paperwork. All this will be helped if you are performing to a high standard each day. If the company are unable to keep you on always remember to be courteous and send a thank you note. A role could always come available within a few months if it isn’t there immediately.

Five Reasons The Holidays Are Great For Job Searching:

1.      A lot of companies must spend the money they have left in their hiring budget. If they don't they lose that amount as part of next year's funds.

2.      People tend to like to start out the New Year with everything settled and no loose ends. This may mean hiring extra people in anticipation of staffing problems or taking care of any vacant positions now instead of waiting until January.

3.      Many people quit this time of year, anticipating that they can spend the holidays with their family by doing so and then getting a fresh start in January with a new job.

4.      Recruiters are trying hard to up their end of years sales figures and are doing everything to place people in jobs and make their year's performance figures spike.

5.      Holidays bring parties and special events, but hiring events still go forward, and there are still business requirements that must be met. Many people think that the holidays temporarily suspend hiring when in fact they do not.

Remember - Job Hunting Takes No Holiday, don’t fall into the trap of believing the holiday season is the worst time to be looking for a new job. Keep busy and be pro-active, get your CV out to recruiters that best suit what you are looking for, if its Sales roles get your CV to www.aaronwallis.co.uk, network at Christmas parties and if you enjoy your seasonal job remember to let the company know with plenty of time.

Written by Liam Oakes

Liam is the Candidate Manager at Aaron Wallis and has been with the company for 2 years after having a career with the RAF; Liam has helped hundreds of Sales Professionals secure a new Sales role and ensures that Aaron Wallis runs smoothly.

Liam.oakes@aaronwallis.co.uk

www.aaronwallis.co.uk

Twitter - https://twitter.com/aaronwallisliam

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AaronWallisSR
LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/liam-oakes/4b/536/403

Lessons Learned from Successful Selling 2012

It was another great day at the ISMM Successful Selling show – a ‘must’ for everyone in sales for new ideas, motivation and a day out of the office to refocus, recharge and realign your goals. 
 
My key lessons learned from the speakers today include:

Toby Perkins MP - @tobyperkinsmp

MP for Chesterfield, and Shadow Minister for SME's

• There are 2.2M in sales in the UK. That’s 9% of all workers
• “Sales is the key to economic prosperity”
• In a current A-level syllabus ‘production’ is mentioned 36 times, ‘Accounts’ 32 times and Sales Once! Bearing in mind that ‘until a sale is made, nothing happens’ that is an absolute travesty
• “The pace of technological change will never be as slow as it is today”
• “Sales: The ultimate meritocracy”

Andy Bounds.

Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year 2010. Free weekly Tuesday Tips: http://www.andybounds.com/tips

• “What you think is relevant is not necessarily what your customers think”
• “When your customer says ‘yes’ – shut up!”
• Research why people say ‘yes’ to you – “facts tell, stories sell”
• Give clients options at the end of the meeting – “how would you like us to help you next x, y, or z?”
• Call clients and ask “what are you priorities between now and the end of the year and how can we help you?”

Allan Pease - @AllanPease

Known internationally as 'Mr. Body Language' and multi-million seller of the ‘bible’ of ‘body language’.

• “92% of all sales professionals in Japan are female”
• Gesture of chin stroking means “weighing up pros and cons” i.e will I or won’t I
• “Woman are better than men at Body Language as they ‘hard-wired’ to realise when a crying new-born baby is is lonely, ill, hurt, hungry, etc”
• “wiping your nose in front of a Japanese client is like bringing a loo roll into a meeting and wiping your butt!”

Grant Leboff - @grantleboff

Sales and Marketing Strategist, Speaker, Writer. http://www.stickymarketing.com

• “HBS study: 60% of customers know their problem and the solution. If you don’t add value you’ll be beaten on £”
• “In meeting with target clients always think of an ‘insight’ “what haven’t they thought about?”
• When tendering have a unique angle and “create the buying criteria”
• “The Biggest enemy in sales is your client being happy with the status quo”
• “We live in a world of Social Proof”
• “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”
• “When selling, what’s your narrative; what’s your story”

Larry Winget - @larrywinget

The self proclaimed ‘Irritational Speaker’ rather than ‘Motivational Speaker’. Five Time Bestselling Author, Speaker & TV personality. The ‘Pitbull of Personal Development’

• The Secret of Customer Service – “BE NICE!”
• The Secret of Selling – “ASK!”
• The Secret of Leadership “GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO FOLLOW!”
• “Success comes from sacrifice” – “what am I going to give up to be where I want to be?”
• “Are you ready, willing and able to be successful? Everyone is ready, everyone is able but are you willing?”

Phil Jones - @philmjonesuk

Award Winning Business Educator and author of ‘Magic Words’

• “Who are your target customers. Define them. Develop Laser like focus to seek them out”
• “Referrals: If you don’t ask, you don’t get!”
• “Magic Words: “You couldn’t do me a little favour could you? You wouldn’t happen to know someone just like you that could benefit from....”

PY Gerbeau - @pygerbeau

Turned around the fortunes of Euro Disney and the Millennium Dome. Now Chief Executive of X-Leisure

• “Reality of Today: A Happy Customer tells 3 people; an unhappy one tells millions”
• “Great leaders don’t work – they’re on a mission”
• “The role of Hens and Pigs in Ham and Eggs: Hens are involved but pigs are committed!”

---

As always a great day! Thanks to all of the guys at ISMM for putting on a terrific show.

Save money on dry cleaning AND make your suits last longer!

 

I was moaning to a contact last week that after three dry cleans my suits were so shiny that they were no use. 

He told me that I was getting it all wrong.  He told me to dab any stains on my suits with a sponge dampened with water and then hang them out to dry on the washing line on a dry, blustery day.  Of course I scoffed but fed up with buying a new suit every couple of months I thought I’d give it a try.

Sunday was perfect.  It was a crisp, dry and gusty day so I pegged my jackets and suit trousers onto the line.  I left them outside for a few hours then hung the jackets on good shaped hangers and clamped the trousers by the hems on trouser hangers and weighted them down with a belt.  I left them overnight.

The following morning it was amazing.  It really works,  the suits were clean, fresh as new and had their shape back. 

Give it a try! I was once a suit hanging cynic but am now a convert AND with no perchloroethylenes used it’s got to be better for the environment!