After receiving the topic for this month’s Career Collective post, I bet I’ve read more than 50 articles addressing different aspects of staying motivated during the holiday season in the past few weeks. And that’s a mere drop in the bucket compared to what’s out there. Today, a Google search using “Job search during the holidays” brings back 97,500 (and counting) results. In fact, digging through my own archives, I found a post I wrote addressing this very topic last year. I’m not even going to try and condense all the Web wisdom I found in this one article, but will share a few ideas:

• Attend holiday parties. Enforce and expand your network.
• Ask friends to take you to their holiday work parties so you can network.
• Connect with company executives during holiday gathering. They’re more accessible.
• Send holiday greetings to your network thanking them for their support during the year.
• Start networking by sending holiday cards to people you’ve not contacted lately.

Do you see the common thread? Network, network, connect, network, network. I’ll say it again. NETWORK.

Between all the holiday decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, and traveling, who has time to sit down and rev up a resume, compose a cover letter or conduct company research? If you do, bravo. If you need to do it, then make the time. For the rest, rather than add more stress to your already crazy schedule, use holiday gatherings as an opportunity to connect and shore up your search. But use discretion. (I’ll spare you the “don’t drink too much” lecture. You should know that by now.)

Holiday networking doesn’t mean running up to Uncle Nuncio, who you’ve not seen in years, hugging him and launching into your 30-second elevator pitch or handing out business cards willy-nilly and espousing your career goals at every holiday event. It means, being interested in others and being interesting in what you share. Interesting/interested usually doesn’t include every detail of your search or employment status Want to disperse a crowd quickly? Dominate the conversation, especially with your job search frustrations, and turn every topic back to you and what you need. With that approach, don’t be surprised when people start checking their imaginary watches, develop urgent bladder issues or start backing away from you slowly.

Instead, allow conversations to happen. Engage. Spend more time listening to what’s going on around than you do telling your story. Eventually those conversations turn to work. It’s where we spend a good deal of time so naturally, the story telling moves to work-related topics. By listening, you’ll learn about Suzy’s pregnancy and upcoming maternity leave, a company’s restructure, Bob’s surgery and mandatory two-month recuperation or corporate expansion plans. You might not know all the characters, but if you listen and ask questions these stories can open the door to opportunity for you. Pay attention.

Remember, if you look (and listen), while the rest of the world celebrates, you’re facing a reduced candidate pool, improving your chances of being noticed. Whether you’re actively seeking a job or a casual looker, the time of year, the day of the week shouldn’t have any impact on your approach to a job search. Prepared is prepared, regardless the time of year. Effectively managing your career means “ramped up” 24/7/365.

Opportunity waits for no man (or woman). Use the holiday season to reach out to old friends, make some new ones and enjoy yourself. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking hiring or chances for a new adventure disappear during the holidays. Listen closely. You may think you’re hearing jingle bells, but really, it’s opportunity.

(By the way, I received emails from two clients, in two completely different industries, this week excitedly sharing news of interviews. It’s a little more than two weeks before Christmas. And a third client contacted me for a quick update to pounce on an opportunity for a un-publicized position she found through networking with a friend. Doesn’t sound like “no holiday hiring” to me.)