This is the time of year of when many job seekers make the mistake of dropping out of the job search. Time and again I hear, “Nobody gets hired during the holidays. I’m going to close up shop until after the new year.”

The fact is, because so many people buy into this myth, your competition is greatly reduced, significantly increasing your chances of success.

Here are three very good reasons for staying in the game during the holidays.

1. Some companies have budget dollars that need to be spent before year’s end and they want to make a hiring decision before December 31. Other companies will have budget dollars available as of January 1 and want to have new hires lined up so they can hit the ground running. Either way, it pays for you to keep your job hunt alive.

2. November and December were made for networking. People are generally in a good mood during the holidays and it may be easier to gain access to them at this time of year.

Their goodwill combined with the inordinate number of festive events provides amply opportunity to connect with old and new acquaintances. This is a great time to widen your circle of influence.

3. You will have a head start on all of the other job seekers when the new year arrives. After the holidays, it is common to experience a letdown. The festivities are over and it is back to business as usual, if you dropped the job search ball that means starting over from scratch.

However, if you have stayed active during the holidays, then you have pre-booked appointments to look forward to in January.

In addition, the holidays are a perfect time to implement new marketing strategies. For example, if you don’t already have a business card promoting your expertise, now is the time to create one. Include your name, contact information and area of expertise or job title: It might be information technology, social media marketing or systems administrator.
Including this information helps pinpoint what you do, making it easier for new contacts to remember you.

On the flip side of your business card include a mini-résumé. Craft a 25 to 30 word career profile identifying your key skills and areas of expertise. Be sure to mention the mini-résumé on the back when you exchange cards.

This is a perfect tool for networking in situations when it is not appropriate to hand out a résumé. A business card also levels the playing field when someone suggests exchanging contact information.

Write a top 10 list of reasons to hire you. Once you know why you would be a great future employee, you can feel confident sharing that information with others.

Practice sharing your top 10 list with friends. When you are comfortable talking about what you have to offer, you can more easily bring it up in casual conversations. The fact is, if you don’t know what you have to offer, you certainly can’t expect a casual acquaintance to figure it out.

Craft a holiday networking letter. While anytime is a fine time to write a networking letter, the holidays are practically built for it. People expect to hear from you at this time of year, so don’t disappoint them.

Write a warm, upbeat letter to everyone in your circle of influence. Update them on personal and professional changes you’ve made in the past year and include your goals for the coming year. Suggest that you follow up with them after the holidays for coffee or by telephone.

Commit to staying in the job search game this holiday season. Implement these new marketing strategies now so that you have the advantage when January 2nd rolls around.