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Holiday season job search: Your game plan for success in 2025

The new year is right around the corner, and with it comes the promise of fresh opportunities. As hiring tends to pick up early in the year, now is the time to set yourself up for success. Whether you’re looking to pivot careers, step into a new role, or simply explore what’s out there, a little preparation now can make all the difference when the time comes.

Here’s your quick guide to getting ahead of the competition:

1️⃣ Build a Routine Now

Job searching is a grind. It’s not something you can typically sprint through—it’s more like a marathon. There are going to be moments when your energy dips, rejection emails pile up, and motivation feels out of reach. That’s where a solid routine comes in.

A routine creates structure, helping you stay organized and consistent even when things get tough. Start by setting aside regular time blocks for job searching, networking, or updating your application materials. Break big tasks into smaller, manageable steps, and set realistic goals for yourself each week.

By establishing these habits now, you’ll have systems in place to fall back on when hiring season ramps up. You’ll be running on a process you’ve already mastered rather than scrambling to piece things together. Remember: consistency beats intensity over the long haul.

2️⃣ Define Your Brand

What makes you stand out? If your answer is limited to your skills or experience, you might be missing the bigger picture. The job market is more competitive than ever, and a solid personal brand can be the key to rising above the noise.

Your personal brand is the unique combination of your story, values, approach, and expertise. It’s what sets you apart from other candidates with similar resumes. Ask yourself:

  • What do I want people to remember about me after a conversation or an interview?
  • What unique strengths, experiences, or perspectives do I bring to the table?
  • How do I want to present myself online, in my resume, and in interviews?

Start building your brand. Then, refine your LinkedIn profile, polish your resume, and practice how you talk about yourself in networking or interview settings. The more authentic and clear your brand is, the more you’ll attract the right opportunities.

3️⃣ Identify the Right Role Types

If you’ve been applying for jobs and not getting any interviews, it might not be your skills—it might be your strategy. Too often, job seekers cast a wide net, applying for anything that seems remotely close to their experience. But that approach isn’t super effective.

Instead, focus on alignment. What types of roles are you particularly suited for? What industries, job titles, or responsibilities match your current skills and goals? And equally important, where are the gaps?

For example, you might discover roles you’re excited about but aren’t particularly well-suited for yet. That’s not a dead end—it’s an opportunity to tailor your approach. Update your resume to highlight transferable skills, adjust your personal brand to emphasize your potential, or take a course to bridge a skill gap.

Applying strategically—rather than applying broadly—will save you time and energy while increasing your chances of landing interviews for the roles that are truly right for you.

Your Time Is Coming

The job search process can feel overwhelming, but preparation is your secret weapon. By building a routine, defining your personal brand (click here to check out my branding program!), and targeting the right roles, you’re positioning yourself for success.

When the new year arrives and companies start posting those job openings, you won’t just be ready—you’ll be ahead of the pack.

Need help getting started? You don’t have to do it alone. Message me, and I’ll get your questions answered. Let’s make this the year you achieve your career goals!

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The best thing you can do for yourself when job searching?

Here it is, plain and simple: start applying for jobs.

It might sound obvious, but as a coach I see a whole lot of people hold themselves back from actually getting in the pool. 

And yeah, there’s plenty of advice out there about what you should be doing during a job hunt—polishing your resume, growing your network, building your personal brand. 

And those are all important! But none of it matters much if you’re not actually sending out applications.

The facts: it’s really hard to land a job if you’re not putting yourself in the running.

Why This “Simple” Step Is Often Overlooked

So, I’ve noticed a trend. Many people hesitate to apply for jobs because they feel like they’re not “ready.” Maybe their resume isn’t perfect yet. Maybe they’re unsure if they’re qualified. Maybe they’re overwhelmed by the process and don’t know where to start.

But here’s the thing: perfection is overrated, and momentum is everything. The more you apply, the more you’ll refine your approach. You’ll learn what works, you’ll get more comfortable tailoring your materials, and you’ll start to see patterns in job descriptions that clarify what employers are really looking for.

Building The Habit

One of the biggest hurdles is establishing the habit of routinely applying for roles. Job searching can feel like a full-time job in itself, but it doesn’t have to consume your entire day. The key is consistency. Dedicate specific time blocks to job applications—whether that’s 30 minutes a day or a couple hours a week.

When you prioritize this habit, you’ll notice a shift. Suddenly, job searching feels less overwhelming and more like a manageable part of your routine.

Action Steps To Get Started

Ready to get them applications out? Here’s how to make it happen:

Set a goal: Decide how many jobs you’ll apply for each week. Start with a realistic number and adjust as you gain momentum.

Create a schedule: Block out time on your calendar for job applications. Treat it like an important appointment.

Start small: If you’re feeling stuck, pick one role to apply for today. Sometimes, just starting is the hardest part.

Track your progress: Use a spreadsheet or a job search tracker to stay organized. Logging your applications can help you stay motivated and identify follow-up opportunities.

Final Thoughts

Job searching is a process, and like any process, it works best when you keep moving forward. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. The most important thing is to take action.

So, what are you waiting for? Get those apps out—and take the first step toward your next opportunity!

Looking for some accountability and guidance? Come talk to me about my coaching programs. Getting started and knowing what to do can make this process of finding your next job SO MUCH EASIER.

“Hire him! If you are ready for change, ready to do the work, and receive honest feedback Hire him! Best money I’ve spent this year!”

-Adetola O.

Click here to schedule a free consultation with me. It’ll be quick and easy. I promise.

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Is tailoring your resume a waste of time?

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the common resume advice:

“Tailor your resume to each job posting you apply to!”

It’s how you get more interviews. Sorta (go here to understand what I mean).

But I’ve been seeing some information floating around about resume tailoring that could be a little confusing.

Specifically, I’ve been seeing people on LinkedIn post things like “Tailoring your resume for each job posting is a waste of your time and energy! You don’t need to do all that”

Aaaaww snap! Which is it then? What should a job seeker like you do? 

I wrote about it briefly in this LinkedIn post, but let’s explore a little more here.

SHOULD YOU TAILOR YOUR RESUME FOR EACH JOB POSTING?

The short answer to this is still “yes” but there’s some nuance involved. Before we get into all that nuance, though, it’s worth it to discuss why it’s important to tailor your resume.

It’s pretty simple, truth be told. You tailor your resume to show you’re qualified and actually should be applying to the posting. Seems obvious, but the truth is a lot of people apply to jobs that they’re either not super qualified for, or not at all qualified for.

Recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to spend a whole lot of time combing through each and every resume–they want to quickly glance at them and be able to determine who’s worth taking a longer look at and who isn’t. Tailoring your resume helps whoever’s reading it understand that at the very least you’re one of the ones that’s worth that deeper look and potentially moving on to the call/interview stage.

The question, though, is do you need to tailor your resume every time you submit an application. I mean, what if your resume is already in pretty good shape?

The answer: yes and no (dang it! Why’s it always “yes and no” or “it depends”?! Why can’t it ever not depend??).

Here’s the thing. You need to determine what industry and type of job you’re generally going to be applying for. Are you applying for Customer Success Manager jobs? Social Media Marketing Strategist jobs? Project Manager jobs?

Many companies and institutions have the same types of jobs, and Customer Success Managers across companies play very similar roles. They kinda do the same things, with maybe a couple differences from company to company.

So if you’re a non-profit recruiter or a higher education resident director, you’re going to need to first take your resume from being a “recruiter” or “resident director” resume to being a “customer success manager” resume.

Similarly, if you’re also applying for project manager jobs, you’re also going to need to make another version of your resume that’s a “project manager” resume. And so on and so forth. The tailoring involved in this step will probably take you a while.

Once you’ve done that, though, things get a little simpler. When you submit your resume for a specific Customer Success Manager job, you should tailor it to fit that specific posting, but this should not take you very long to do. I’m talking minutes. 

You’ve already done the heavy lifting of tailoring when you first made your “Customer Success Manager” resume, ensuring that the marketable skills and outcomes you described are relevant and appealing for customer success manager jobs. The tailoring at this step is just making sure you use the words in the specific posting you’re applying for (i.e. if the job posting says “management” instead of “supervision”, you want to make sure you reflect that in your resume), and double check that your resume hits on the key skills/results described in that posting.

There’s some variability between Customer Success Manager jobs from company to company, but probably not very much. So while you should be tailoring your resume to each job you apply for, it should not at all take you very much time to do it…if you’ve done your job of creating the right “base” resume to begin with.

WRAPPING UP

It’s not that tailoring your resume is a waste of time. It’s not. I mean, it can be, but not necessarily. It really just depends on if you’re doing it the right way.

Make sure you have the right “base” resume(s), and go from there. When done well, you can then tailor your resume to each job in a matter of 5-10 minutes.

Y’all got this. And if you have questions, let me know! Send me an email at brandon@begallantcoaching.com and I promise I’ll get back to you.

WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT!

Very soon I’ll be hosting a free webinar on an important mindset shift that will make you a stronger candidate. I’m talking more interviews, more offers, better offers. I’ll give you a hint.

If you’re applying for jobs, that makes you an applicant. So I bet you’re also thinking like an applicant. That’s not a good thing. I will send you an invite soon, but if you want to make sure you get it, just drop your name, email, and “invite me!” in the form below and I’ll make sure you get it.

~Brandon

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