Job searching during the holidays

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The holidays may be a time of cheer for some, but for others it may signal a time to look for a new job.

Don Huse of OI Partners-Venturion talked to anchor Brian Sanders on Sunday morning about the fact that companies may be cutting personnel at what is often viewed as the happiest time of the year.

Often the signals are there: a boss who makes less eye contact; less face-to-face time with a manager; receiving a poor evaluation when you've had good evaluations in the past; and extensive department cutbacks.

Be prepared, Huse said. Offer to work in a contract basis for your company. Know your company's severance policies and request outplacement services if they are not part of your severance packages.

Whether or not the top termination warning signs apply, employees should continually update their resumes, build and maintain their career networks, and keep their professional knowledge and skills current.

There are also measures employers can take to ease the transition of departing workers until they find new jobs. An OI Partners survey of displaced employees the firm has counseled during the past two years validates the value of providing outplacement career counseling services.

After receiving outplacement assistance, more than six times as many displaced employees reported having excellent or very good job search skills than before they entered the programs.

"Terminated employees continue to enter a very challenging job market. Some have not looked for new employment in several years and their job-search skills are rusty or outdated," Huse said. "Other former employees are experiencing their first reductions in force and need additional resources and support to cope with the stress and anxiety."

Companies can provide outplacement career counseling to departing employees to ease their transition.

“Outplacement assistance upholds the morale of workers who remain as well as those who are displaced. It reduces employees’ anxiety and reflects corporate social responsibility,” added Huse.    

And evaluate whether you want to continue on your current career path or strike out on your own.

“Many people are too upset and emotional after losing their jobs to quickly launch a search. Give yourself some time to re-assess your career and determine what you want to do next. Conduct a thorough career check-up and develop an action plan,” said Huse.

Holiday parties may not be the time to ask for job leads, but it could be a time to gather business cards. People you mingle with may be your step to your next job.