The holidays are a perfect time for job seekers to get out and network with lots of events and slowed business, says James Dickinson, assistant vice president for Career Services at Loyola University Maryland. To get ahead before January, the most active time for hiring, prioritize the people who bring value to you, refine your search and follow up with hiring managers.

There are still plenty of networking possibilities this month, particularly this week, before the holidays come full force. Are you still working on a new job or promotion? Poll results on Friday.

Think twice before including an objective at the top of your resume, because this might distract from the point you are trying to make. A well-written resume explains how you have made things better for employers.

Employers are competing to attract top talent in a landscape full of enticing perks, benefits packages and amenities, so it's important for businesses to do what they can when hiring their teams. A defined search strategy, specific interview process, modern workplace amenities, competitive compensation and an emphasis on company culture are five things businesses can use to bring in the talent they need, writes Jana Turner of RETS Associates.

Even in the most desirable jobs, employees face anxiety, burnout and stress, but workers can try faking happiness if changing jobs isn't possible. "Happy bosses are more likely to see their job as meaningful and aligned with their personal values, so if you can persuade your team that you care about what you do, they will probably care about it more, too," writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic.

Gen Z is expected to make up 24% of the world's workforce by 2020, according to research from ManpowerGroup, so employers should be ready for how they differ from millennials. The younger generation is full of competitive, college-educated multi-taskers that prefer face-to-face communication, newer social medias, flexible schedules and impactful work.

Employers can be proactive in helping reduce employees' holiday-related stress by offering flexible working arrangements, holiday meals or get-togethers that promote social well-being, and wellness pots that allow people to choose how they spend a wellness allowance, writes Matt Jackson of Thomsons Online Benefits. "During this stressful time of year, companies offering wellness pots to support employees' mental and physical well-being are automatically ahead of the curve," Jackson writes.

The time to make New Year's resolutions is coming up, and that leads many of us to make choices about nutrition. "Intermittent fasting" was Google's most-searched diet term of the year, as a previous fave, keto, dropped out of the top 10.