I’m amazed at how often I hear people say, “I’m putting off my job search until after the holidays. Nobody’s hiring now.”

The truth is, job-hunting during the holiday season is a great way to gain a competitive advantage over those taking a break and putting their searches on hold until next year. The holiday season is a prime time to search for a new career opportunity because there are some unique advantages. Rather than slowing down, the holidays are a great time to step up your job search.

The following are some of the benefits of continuing your job search during the holidays:

Less competition: There is generally less competition for roughly the same number of jobs. So, a higher percentage of job-seekers may find positions with fewer people actively looking.

Better access to decision-makers: It may be easier to connect with decision-makers during the holidays. Business travel falls off during the holidays so the people you need to talk to or more likely to be around. They may have less hectic schedules and even answer their own phones due to vacationing admins and receptionists.

Newly created openings: Because the fiscal year coincides with the calendar year for many companies, new yearly budgets open the way for new positions.  December job hunters can get a jump on being considered for January job opportunities.

Jump-start the new year: Managers with fresh goals for the new year want talented people on board in early January to help them achieve their objectives and targets. They may even want to use slow times in December to get new team members up to speed.

Goodwill in the air: People are friendlier at this time of year. You will likely find that people are more willing to take time to visit and talk with you. For someone who is well prepared to talk specifically about their value proposition to an organization, this is a huge advantage.

By taking advantage of these holiday job search dynamics, you just may find yourself celebrating the New Year with a new career opportunity.