Ho-Ho-Ho! The holiday season is about ready to kick off with shoppers planning their strategies for grabbing the hottest bargains. Soon the shopping malls and neighborhood stores will be packed with frenzied shoppers. If you are looking for a job, this is a good time to put a few job search essentials on your holiday wish list. Instead of getting another scarf or sweater, let your friends or family know how they can help you in your job search. This is the one time of year that people intentionally spend money on everyone, and what’s better than getting something that you really need?
1. Interview clothing. A great fitting blazer, dressy slacks, crisp shirt, dress shoes—even a new pair of dress socks (for men) would be a great addition to your professional wardrobe.
2. A good pen. Instead of using the pen you picked up at the cleaners (with their logo and phone number on the side), a sleek pen with a metal barrel (Cross pens are nice) are perfect for filling out applications and taking pre-employment tests.
3. A leather portfolio. Briefcases, with the snap locks and boxy look, are out. A nice leather envelope-style portfolio to hold a few crisp copies of your resume, your pen, and some note paper is just what you need tucked under your arm when you arrive for your interview.
4. A good pair of dress shoes. Some corporations, financial institutions or five-star luxury hotel chains have strict dress codes. Women were not allowed to wear open-toed shoes at the luxury hotel/resort where I once worked. Strappy sandals with four-inch heels for women or running shoes for men don’t belong on an interview.
5. Personal maintenance. A gift certificate to your favorite spa for a manicure, facial or massage is a great way to relax and improve your appearance. Or, how about a trip to your favorite hair salon? Not only will you look good, but a day at the spa can do wonders to relieve stress and put you in a good mood.
6. Continuing education. I gave my husband a camera last Christmas and a digital camera class at the one of the local colleges. The gift of professional or technical classes helps improve skills or add new ones, which will look good on your resume.
7. A new language. The ability to speak another language is a plus in so many professions, and a course at a local college or an audio or online class is a great gift. Service jobs are one of the fastest growing job market segments, and they are always looking for bi-lingual applicants.
What do you want Santa to bring you this year (besides a fabulous, high-paying new job)? Share your wish list toppers in the Comments section below.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for BusinessWorkForce.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at businessworkforceblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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