By: Teresa Hundt -Senior Associate/Head of Training at Oberg and Associates
Many people can be hesitant to look for a change and make career decisions around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the New Year for many reasons – most being fears surrounding a change in income when we’re spending more on gifts and/or travel as well as potentially missing out on bonuses that pay out in December or January. Whatever the reason for hesitancy, I recommend moving past it and keeping an open mind for new opportunities.
The end of the year is a great time to start seeing what options are available! There is this myth out there, that no business gets done or no one hires during the holiday season but in the Corrugated Industry that’s far from true. This industry is essential, and things certainly don’t slow down for us.
The reasons why I recommend keeping an open mind:
- Lay the groundwork now so that you can start the New Year off on a new and exciting foot. Just because you start the job-hunting process in November doesn’t mean that you can’t start your new job in January. If a company wants you, they’ll accommodate your delayed start date. As a recruiter, I’ve negotiated these many times in my 8 years.
- Budgets are being set for the new year so compensation concerns aren’t an issue – you may even be able to negotiate a better salary.
- It’s also easier to get time off work to get to interviews during the holiday season because time off can easily be seen as using up vacation time before you lose it.
- As far as missing out on potential bonuses, that can be said for leaving at any time during the year. Even if you leave in September, you’re still walking away from a potential bonus that you worked 9 months for. Instead of focusing on what you’re losing, focus on what you’re gaining.
- There’s not a shortage of job openings in Corrugated during the holidays. Our firm is just as busy filling openings in the 4th quarter as we were in the other 3. Actually, our busiest quarters have been Q1 and Q4 in 2022.
I’m not recommending that the end of the year is the best time for everyone to make career changes in all cases. For many, it’s not. The best time of the year to make a move is deeply personal and looks different for each person. What I am recommending is that you don’t eliminate the possibility just because it’s the holiday season and based on the myth that nothing happens. I’m recommending that if the right opportunity presents itself to you, it’s in your best interest to simply learn more. And in order to learn more, you need to have a conversation with the hiring manager. Only then can you make the best decision for yourself and your family.
If you’d like to learn more about the opportunities we have available, please reach out to me at teresa@obergassociates.com. I’d be more than happy to share more insights with you and help you review your options.
Outside the Box 