Secure the Ultimate Holiday Gift: an IT Job

With the New Year just weeks away, information technology professionals may find it fitting to take the time to set some career goals for 2014.Nearly every individual in the IT industry has different objectives when it comes to their work. Depending on their age, their current employment situation and their overall aspirations, the coming year could present them with a wide array of opportunities that they may or may not want to take for the time being.For IT professionals who are in the midst of looking for open tech positions, the start of 2014 cannot come soon enough. The New Year often signifies a fresh start, which tends to be much appreciated by job seekers who are almost down to their last nerve when it comes to filling out seemingly endless applications. With that said, if these individuals are hoping to truly capitalize on a new beginning to their employment endeavors, then they should aim to revamp their searching strategies altogether.Fortunately, CIO.com pointed out that the holiday season in and of itself presents IT professionals with numerous chances to secure a position before the ball drops this January.Timing is everythingAs many probably already know, companies throughout the country depend on the calendar to determine the timing of some of their most critical functions. For instance, the start and end of businesses’ fiscal years are directly in line with the dates laid out by the calendar. Consequently, as the current year’s dates dwindle, organizations are preparing themselves to adhere to new budgets and take on revolutionary projects.Piera Palazzolo, senior vice president of marketing at Dale Carnegie Training, told the explained to the source that as companies close in on the coming year, there are typically those with expanding operations and funds that will be looking to hire IT professionals throughout the holiday season.”There’s often a flurry of hiring right before the fiscal year ends as organizations have new structures and new positions to fill,” Palazzolo stated.Even if businesses are not hiring at the moment, IT professionals can still take advantage of the various networking opportunities that the holidays have to offer.”It may sound strange, but the holiday season might work to your advantage,” Palazzolo said. “Most of us are starting to receive invitations to holiday events, and these are great networking opportunities.”Deck the halls with networkingWhether it be family gatherings or get-togethers with friends, festive parties have the potential to serve as optimal networking venues. No matter how busy tech job seekers may be with their holiday shopping or how tempted they could be to crash on the couch each evening, they should make an effort to attend as many of these events as possible.”Statistics show that something like 80 percent of jobs are found through networking, so whether you’re going to a strictly social gathering with friends or a professional event, make sure you are getting the word out that you’re looking and ask your friends and colleagues if they’ve heard of opportunities,” she added.When preparing for any seasonal activities, IT professionals should bring their networking A game. This means that they need conduct themselves with a certain degree of dignity, regardless of how tempted they may be to drink their older cousins under the table.The truth of the matter is that they never know who is attending these gatherings, and few potential bosses will be inclined to hire applicants if these employers saw the candidates’ intoxicated rendition of “Jingle Bells” at a holiday outing.Gift others with graciousnessThe New York’s Metro News recommended that IT professionals heading to festive get-together and working their networking magic always be gracious, following up and thanking anyone with whom they speak. This is especially the case if job candidates attend events sponsored by organizations, which can prove to be invaluable connections that could benefit tech applicants in the long run.”If you’re attending, make sure you go over to the person who planned it and thank them.” Ricky Eisen, founder of the event planning company Between the Bread, told the source. “I think that goes a huge long way to showing that you have manners and proper etiquette.”Additionally, CIO Magazine advised that, in the spirit of the holidays, IT employment hopefuls should send personal cards to everyone in their address books to extend warm wishes for the coming year. This way, they can express their thankfulness, reinforce bonds and ensure that they have a strong network support to help them render their job searches fruitful.