Farm Futures logo

Make sure your job opening is in front of potential job candidates this time of year.

Bonnie Johnson, Marketing Associate

December 13, 2019

2 Min Read

With low unemployment rates, organizations need to grasp every opportunity to reach candidates. Everyone is busy with parties and year-end activities, but holidays also mean extended time away from work for many people. It also signals a long semester break for most college students.

Both scenarios lend themselves to job candidate activity, like updating their resume, adding it to online databases, searching, and applying for jobs – maybe on your farm! Candidates use vacation time, sometimes fueled by New Year’s resolutions, to contemplate a career move, update their social media accounts and online candidate profiles.

For example, last season between Christmas Eve and New Year’s on AgCareers.com:

  • Nearly 50,000 website visits

  • Jobs viewed over 135,000 times

  • Almost 1,000 applications from job seekers

What about interns?

The top keyword search on AgCareers.com during the holiday break is “internship” and “intern.” Students get anxious if they haven’t already secured their summer 2020 internship or work experience. We all know a few procrastinators, or simply those too busy with activities and classes. Sometimes students tell themselves they’ll “start looking during winter break.”

If you need interns, student workers, or are hiring new graduates in the spring, it’s reasonable that you’re getting anxious as an employer too. Make sure your opportunities are out there during this time of year. If you’re hiring for rural or remote locations, the season is an extra bonus as students make their way home for holiday celebrations. Use this time to set-up interviews with local students back for the holiday break.

Recruiting Professionals:

You might be surprised that nearly 30% of employees tell us they job search online while at work! Of course we’re not encouraging that, but we’re always encouraging professionals to keep their resume updated with current accomplishments, experiences, and awards. This goes even for people who aren’t looking to make a career move.

Passive candidates, who are not actively searching and applying, are more likely to take the holiday season break to update their profiles and just explore what’s out there. Ensure you’re actively promoting your open roles.

In addition, check out the newest candidate editions to online resume databases right after the holiday. Job posting packages on AgCareers.com include two-weeks of access to our resume database. The AgCareers.com Resume Database includes thousands of recently updated resumes with interest and/or experience in agriculture and food.   

For more information on hiring or searching the AgCareers.com database, visit www.AgCareers.com.

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress. 

About the Author(s)

Bonnie Johnson

Marketing Associate, Agcareers.com

As Marketing Associate at AgCareers.com, Bonnie Johnson works on both internal and external communications, email marketing, company branding and market research projects. Bonnie was raised on a farm in Northeast Iowa and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa and her Masters from Iowa State University. Bonnie has been with AgCareers.com since 2010.  AgCareers.com is a leading online career site and human resource service provider for the agriculture, food, natural resources and biotech industries.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like