Make your Boxing Day list of year-end thanks -- Career Center Blog

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December 26, 2010

Make your Boxing Day list of year-end thanks

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By Randy Woods
NWjobs

I've always liked the idea of Boxing Day. For those unfamiliar with obscure holiday customs of the former British Empire, Dec. 26th traditionally has been a day off for the laboring classes, during which the wealthy provided charitable gifts for the less fortunate. While the upper classes took Christmas Day off to exchange gifts among themselves and their families, the next day was all about acknowledging "the help" -- a Victorian version of the holiday bonus, if you will.

Today, Boxing Day is an official banking and shopping holiday in United Kingdom and many British Commonwealth countries. Here in the States, it's mostly reserved for deep-discount sales and for returning gifts that didn't quite hit the mark the day before. However it is interpreted, the original Boxing Day tradition is a way to publicly address the symbiotic and sometimes uncomfortable relationship between employer and employee -- with lessons that can apply to today's hiring managers and job seekers, as well.

The origin of the word "boxing" has been muddled over the centuries. Various historians have said the term might apply to 1) the boxes of food that landed gentry gave to servants and tradespeople, 2) the donation boxes that servants would bring to their masters to receive monetary bonuses after Christmas, or 3) the "alms boxes" containing donations, which the clergy would open and distribute to the needy on the day after Christmas.

Whatever the true origins were, Boxing Day is mostly about recognizing the contributions of the working class to the smooth operation of a capitalist society. Although the gifts of the moneyed classes seemed voluntary, they were often a necessary guarantee that the high-quality services provided through that year would continue into the next, much the way tipping has become customary in this country.

Instead of being loaded with goopy sentiment, like Christmas, or unrealistic expectations, like New Year's Eve, Boxing Day is (despite its patrician heritage) a day of rest and a moment to give direct, practical thanks to all the helpers of society. What better day, then, for job seekers to recognize all the people who have provided them with vital assistance during their employment searches.

On this Boxing Day, I urge all Hire Ground readers to make a list of all of the people in your networks who have helped you out in some way during your job search -- anyone who passed along contact information, made an introduction, wrote a recommendation, gave you valuable advice or simply listened to your problems during this troubling year. Make sure you let these people know, in any way you can, how much they mean to you, both personally and professionally. Send them a text or email -- or better yet, write them an actual letter or card -- telling them how their help has been appreciated over the last 12 months. You can bet that any kind of personal note of thanks will stay with them once job opportunities arise.

From the look of the latest economic forecasts, 2011 looks to be a turning point for local job creation. In this coming year, the connections you have nurtured in 2010 may have a better chance of paying off than ever before, as the echoes of the Great Recession recede. Giving your contacts a little Boxing Day attention this week may help give you the extra edge you need as hiring managers return to their desks in January.

So, as you clean up the crumpled gift wrap, scrub the eggnog bowl and pack up the empty boxes in your home this Boxing Day, I wish all Hire Ground readers a happy and healthy holiday season. Congratulations for surviving 2010, and best wishes for a much better 2011.

Good luck and good hunting!

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.