Time flies…! Not only did the holidays just zip right by, but I also seem to have completely missed the first 11 days of 2012.

Seriously, I didn’t miss the first week – I was just very busy. In fact, since January 1st, I’ve written more resumes and cover letters than in the entire period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. People just seem to put their career-related activities on hold for the holidays – if it hasn’t happened by Thanksgiving, then it will just have to wait for January.

Here’s what I think about that – not a good idea! In fact, it’s a really BAD idea!

Think about it. Those of you who have ready our website and/or my blogs can probably figure out what comes next. But, for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, I’m going to lay a little ground work first. The economy is not good – there are a lot of people trying to get not -a-lot of jobs. So, anything you can do to get ahead of this curve, anything you can do to get out from under this problem, anything you can do to increase the chances that your resume will actually be looked at is a good thing.

You’re probably starting to see the light at the end of my tunnel, right? You know what I’m going to say next, don’t you?

Why not get your resume all updated and rewritten and ready to go when everyone else has taken 6 weeks off? Why not do some planning and some research and some networking in late November and December when most of the people competing with you are only thinking about putting up their outside decorations and buying the right turkey or ham? Why not identify some jobs you’d really like to have, write some specific cover letters, and actually apply for these jobs when most everyone else is not applying?

That’s my message for today. Do whatever you can to get in front (or at least away from the back) of the curve. Holidays are wonderful – enjoy them and all that comes with them. But you should also continue, and even increase, your job searching efforts. And I’m not just talking about the recent holiday period. The same advice applies to Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. Keep working at getting a job – do it every day. You might find that you’ll be seriously considered for more good jobs when fewer people are applying for them.

One other thing for some of you job/career seekers out there. There’s a brand new web site out there – www.begreatexecutivebranding.com – you should check it out. It’s a comprehensive concierge service for professionals looking to maximize their social media branding, polish their online image, and craft their written messaging. Again, you should check it out. I know the guy behind this – Laurence Verga – he’s one of the good ones.