While the holidays might seem like a slow period for hiring, career experts say the season also presents an opportunity for job applicants to make an impression.
雖然假期看起來是求職的緩慢期，但是職場專家說假期也是求職者給僱主留下深刻印象的好機會。
"Around the holidays, many job seekers are preoccupied with family gatherings and other distractions that keep them away from their searches," says Shawn Graham, author of "Courting Your Career" and director of MBA career services at the University of Pittsburgh. "As a result, the volume of applications for non-seasonal work is often lighter -- and that gives you, as a candidate, a greater chance of being seen."
匹茲堡大學的MBA職業發展辦公室的主任以及《追求你的職業》一書的作者Shawn Graham說：“在假期時間，很多求職者都因爲家庭聚會或其他的事情使他們在求職上分心。最後的結果就是產生了非季節性的工作職位空缺，而這會讓身爲求職者的你有很大的機會表現自己。”
Adds Mary Rosenbaum, a career coach and personal branding strategist at Your Career by Design, "Most companies work on their strategic plans during the fourth quarter and tend to be more open to a variety of potential hires that might fit with their strategic goals for the coming year."
“Your Career by Design,”公司的職業教練兼個人品牌策略師Mary Rosenbaum補充說：“大部分公司都會在第四季度制定戰略規劃，並且會招聘更多適合他們下一年戰略目標實現的候選人。”
Industries that use a bonus structure, like legal or financial firms, also anticipate turnover during the first quarter, because some employees leave after collecting their annual bonus.
採用獎金制度的公司，比如法律或金融公司，也會在第一季度做營業額的預算，因爲很多職員都會在拿到年度獎金之後離職。
So, how can job seekers stand out during the holiday season? Here are four ways to start:
所以，求職者怎麼樣在假期脫穎而出呢？以下四個方法教你如何開始：
Call during off hours.
在下班時間致電。
"As the holidays approach, people are in and out of the office, and those who are at work often use that time to play catch up," says Graham. "Recruiters could use that time to give applicants of interest a longer look."
“因爲假期將近，在辦公室或不在辦公室的人，以及上班的人都會利用下班時間來趕計劃。招聘人員可能會用下班時間給有興趣的候選人更長的應聘時間。” Graham如是說。
Since support staff may be out of the office, job seekers have a better chance of reaching an actual hiring manager or recruiter. One of the ways Graham suggests reaching managers when they aren't running in and out of meetings is to call before the start of the business day or after 5 p.m.
因爲助理人員可能沒上班，所以求職者有更好的機會見到實際招聘經理或招聘人員。Graham推薦的.一個方法就是，如果你想找到不是在繁忙之中或會議中的經理的話，那就在上班之前或5點之後給他打電話吧。
Avoid holiday gimmicks.
不要耍假期小聰明
Some job seekers use cutesy ideas like sending a plate of Christmas cookies along with a cover letter or printing their resumes on holiday paper in the hopes that they'll get noticed. But Graham and Rosenbaum warn that these gimmicks can backfire.
有的求職者爲了引起招聘者的注意，會想一些做作的主意，比如在發送求職信的時候附送一籃聖誕餅乾或用假日紙張打印簡歷。但是Graham 和Rosenbaum都警告說這些小聰明可能會起反作用。
