daytondailynews.com

With the nationwide economic meltdown threatening businesses and the employment market, area job hunters, especially the high number of unemployed, may view this holiday season with skepticism and decide to put their campaigns on ice. The classic argument is that companies stop hiring during the holidays; everyone seems headed for the wassail bowl so let's just pack it in like the rest!

If you're considering mothballing your job search until the New Year, employment sources advise this may be the one time you want to re-think that decision.

- Hiring takes no holiday. Companies may soften hiring activity during the holidays but still recruit because people resign or get promoted, creating vacancies to fill.

- Glimmers of optimism. Despite the nation's nervous economy, certain sectors of the job market remain stable with some employers introducing new initiatives and targeting positive developments.

- Fiscal year transition. As 2008 closes, managers are focusing on filling those vacancies held open because of budget constraints and other priorities. With end-of-year budgets, the rule is "use it or lose it." Budgets have also been approved for businesses to roll out new programs in 2009, which will create fresh job opportunities.

- Less competition. People grow weary and develop burnout from job hunting. That's welcome news, because dropouts create less competition for those positions employers will fill during the holidays.

The savvy job seeker refuses to allow the holiday frenzy to throw career pursuits into a stupor. Christmas traditionalists shop the malls, not hop the job fairs and address greeting cards, not answer want ads.

Certainly the job market has experienced better days, and conditions require candidates to work more innovatively and relentlessly in these trying times. Credit the more enterprising opportunists who will choose to grind it out this holiday season and not halt their job-hunting campaigns.

Bellbrook resident Steve Stromp is a professional career consultant, lecturer and writer. Contact him at sstromp@sbcglobal.net.