Before you follow the herd into the mall this December, just know your greatest holiday “find” may not be a discounted black Louis Vuitton bag or the Diesel shirt Bradley Cooper wore in The Hangover. It could be the job of your dreams, but only if you don’t first buy into the idea of a holiday hiring freeze. Here’s why you belong among the few, the active—the holiday job hunters:

• Businesses are pressuring staffing firms to meet the sudden needs of the holidays, to replace employees who left, and to ramp up for the new year. Recruitment specialists (like yours at Imprimis) are actively searching for the right candidates to set up interviews before hiring managers leave for the holiday break. The weeks before the break can be the best time of the year to be active in your search. And given the time pressure, many hiring managers use staffing firms to streamline their searches.

• There’s less competition among job candidates. Businesses are receiving fewer applications, increasing the odds that your strong resume will get reviewed, and that you will be called for an interview. Many of your competition with jobs are staying put until the new year to receive the bonuses and PTO pay they have accrued throughout the year.

• Hiring managers are becoming more accessible. Many are experiencing seasonal lulls in projects, are focused on finishing projects, cleaning out files, and attending holiday festivities. These circumstances can make them more available and receptive to you.

Do you deserve to unwind, go shopping, and enjoy a little holiday time off? Sure you do. But won’t the holiday drinks taste that much sweeter when you’re toasting to the new job you just landed? Holiday hiring is happening for aggressive job seekers. As we like to say in December, “Eggnog is for closers.”

Post written by: Alan Margulis