For many, Christmas is a time to cosy up by the fire, tuck into too many mince pies and unwind with friends and family. You may feel there’s far more pressing issues than work – like deciding whether to pour another glass of mulled wine or nibble at second helping of Christmas pudding. However, taking a few days off gives you a bit of distance from work – so the winter holidays are a good time to reassess your career and pinpoint goals for the future.
“After the Christmas festivities comes the annual dusting off of your CV,” says Corinne Mills, managing director of Personal Career Management. “But before New Year you need to ask yourself: what do you want?”
During the festive season, it can be helpful to write your thoughts down or talk your career goals over with someone else. “This will clarify your thinking and give you an objective perspective. Create a clear list of between five and 10 career wants and needs – and use this as your decision criteria for making career choices,” adds Mills.
So, while most people are taking a break from work over Christmas and New Year, how can you make sure you make the most of the winter holidays to search for jobs, prepare applications and perfect your interview skills? What can you do to beat the Christmas slump and make sure you start your dream job in 2016?
To find out – join us on Wednesday 16 December from 1–3pm GMT for a live chat with the experts. We’ll be discussing:
- How to stay productive with your job hunt over the winter holidays.
- How to manage your time effectively during the festive season.
- Tips on preparing for your New Year job applications.
The Q&A will take place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com, who can post them for you.
Panel
George Brown is the career services manager at London School of Business and Finance (LSBF). He has nearly 20 years of experience in training and workforce development, working with professionals in the public and private sectors.
Michelle Poole is an experienced and qualified careers consultant from Birmingham City University, with over six years’ experience offering careers advice and guidance. Poole also has extensive experience within the HR sector.
Corinne Mills is the managing director of Personal Career Management, a leading career coaching and outplacement company. She has written the best-selling career books, You’re Hired: How to write a brilliant CV! and Career Coach. She is also running a careers weekend masterclass for the Guardian in January.
Lis McGuire is an interview-winning CV writer and the founder of Giraffe CVs. She shares actionable CV tips via her blog and The CV Confidence Coach podcast series, helping jobseekers to optimise their CV and career prospects.
Mike Powell is head of sales at CV-Library, and works closely with a variety of seasonal recruiters to find the best candidates for roles. He also regularly provides advice to job hunters on how to stand out in their job search.
Hannah Morton Hedges has 12 years experience as a careers adviser and now runs Momentum Careers Advice. Prior to this she gained experience as an in-house recruiter for a variety of blue-chip companies.
Victoria McLean, CV writer and interview coach, is the founder of CityCV.co.uk. She is a former recruitment manager at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, and is a multiple prize winner in the global CV writing industry awards.
Lisa LaRue is a career coach at CareerWorx, with over 18 years’ experience helping people plan and manage their careers.
Looking for a job? Browse Guardian Jobs or sign up to Guardian Careers for the latest job vacancies and career advice
