People tend to go missing over the holidays. It’s a known and well-documented fact. It’s hard to get someone on the phone or to an interview when there’s a turkey to be roasted, holiday party to attend or last-minute airfare bargain. And who can blame them? It’s been an intense year and shouldn’t it be time to play?
Hang on. There are advantages to job-hunting this time of year. There’s less competition and noise in December than there is in January, and many companies have identified their first-quarter hiring needs. They will be interviewing for January 1 hires now – making it an excellent time to beat the New Year’s resolution job-seeker crush.
But admittedly, a December job search requires a bit more enthusiasm, tenacity and follow-through. An April 1, 2011 NY Times interview with Appssavvy co-founder and CEO, Chris Cunningham talks about these themes. Here are some key excerpts. Click here for the full interview.
Q. How do you hire?
A. We look for people who really want the job. And that sounds really simple to say, but some of the most important people in the organization who shine and are really transformative people were the ones who were almost jumping out of the chair, saying: “I have to be here. I’ve been studying this company. This is all I’ve ever wanted. And if I’m not here, I’m not going to be happy.” Those individuals took that extra step, as well to follow through after the interview. We watch how quickly the person follows through, and how much thought they put into how they want to contribute. But how badly do they want the job — I can’t stress that piece enough.
…
Some of the biggest misses, I think, come from people not following through. A great idea or solution is only as strong as the follow-through. Nothing will potentially frustrate me more than if there’s no action item. If you follow through, that is a tremendous asset that a lot of individuals don’t necessarily possess.
Don’t be afraid to give that extra smile/nudge/follow-up to ensure you stay top-of-mind.
