We’re heading off for our Christmas break, but before we go, we thought we’d leave all you ethical jobseekers with a few tips on what you can do over the holiday break to give you the edge over all those other jobseekers who are out frolicking in the sunshine (or in bed with a hangover!).

BusinessWeek have a great article on the Holiday Job Hunt which is jam packed with tips by Jay Block, author of 101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times.

According to Jay, the best way to start is by figuring out how you’re going to get the job you want, but don’t just think about it – sit down and make a detailed plan that includes what you intend to do, how much time you intend to spend each day doing it, and a timeline with benchmarks to keep you on track.

The saying ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ is one of the building blocks of getting a job. Build your network of professional contacts at the same time as building your knowledge by calling the people you admire most in your field and asking if they can spare twenty minutes for an informational interview to tell you about their occupation and the industry. If you’re going overseas then you can even take the opportunity to research organisations that interest you and talk to people there, or if you’re not going away then get yourself out there by joining some online networking scenes like LinkedIn.com.

If you’re keen, then take advantage of your free time to volunteer or do some pro-bono work, or if you don’t have quite that much free time, then simply reflect on the year that has been and analyse new skills you’ve developed that will be valuable to employers. Most of all, remember to stay positive and keep at it!

And a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all you folk who are out there making the world a better place, from all of us here at EthicalJobs.com.au