Winter Wishes (and tips!) from The Career Center

We did it, Hofstra! Another semester is behind us, and I’m sure you’re looking forward to a nice, relaxing, well-deserved winter break—I know I am! Whether you’re spending time with family, catching up on sleep, or taking some extra classes, the holidays and January are a great time to unwind and get yourself in gear to hit the ground running come spring.

Speaking of that last part… even though it’s winter, don’t let your career search get cold! As Suzanne and Nayelli mentioned in their blogs this week, the winter is a great time to network and #HireWithPRIDE!

Need some help to stay on the Path of Pride?

Our office will be open during winter break, and we’re here to help!

We’ll be closed December 24^th, 2013 through January 1^st, 2014, but starting January 2^nd our hours will be:

Office Hours

Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm

Quick Questions

Monday – Thursday, 2pm-4pm

Friday, 11am-1pm

Aren’t near campus during break? No worries! Visit our website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter for career planning advice, resume/cover letter samples, and other valuable tips! If you would like to speak with one of our career counselors, just call our office at 516-463-6060 to schedule a phone appointment.

Happy Holidays from all of us here at The Career Center.

We’ll see you on January 2^nd!

Amy Smith, Graduate Assistant

Networking During the Holiday Season

If you think people don’t get hired during the holiday season, think again. The start of a new year can bring about many changes in a staff, which could mean open positions and perhaps a spot for you to join a work team.

You can use your downtime during winter break to keep up your career development and job opportunities by doing the following:

• Search for jobs or internships using our suggested websites
• Network - the holidays are a perfect time to connect with network contacts you have not communicated with in a while, either through LinkedIn, social events, etc.
• Update your LinkedIn profile, or sign up for LinkedIn if you have not done so already
• Use Alumni Student Konnection (ASK) to ask career-related questions to Hofstra alumni
• Meet new people by volunteering at a soup kitchen or other type of volunteering event

It's that easy! Happy Holidays, and Happy networking!

Nayelli Perez, Assistant Director

Don't Think Holidays and Hiring Can Mix? Think Again!

Many people still hold the belief that the holiday season is a dead time for hiring. I believe this comes from the era when employees who were looking to leave their positions would stick around in hopes of receiving their holiday bonuses--and then would make the break in January.

While this may still hold true in some corporate sectors, there are many employees who do leave their jobs this time of the year for a variety of different reasons, and hiring is still happening.  This recent article published on US News & World Report's website provides some useful advice for those seeking jobs this holiday season: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/12/09/7-tips-for-job-searching-during-the-holidays

Are you looking for a job this winter? Don't sweat it! Keep your holiday spirit up--you never know what you may find!

Suzanne Dagger, Interim Executive Director