Like it or not, the end of the year doesn't mean letting off the gas

Don't say bah humbug to applying to jobs during the holiday season.

It's easy to feel like a Scrooge about the job market these days. At this point, you might think you'll need a Christmas miracle to get hired in the waning moments of 2025.

But unlike Santa Claus, your chances of getting hired in December are real, writes BI's Sarah E. Needleman.

I don't mean to be a Grinch by telling you to spend your holidays applying for jobs. I get the feeling of wanting to shut it down for the year and give it a go in 2026. After all, it's been a brutal year for job seekers.

But recruiters and hiring managers told Sarah they're not slowing down, so neither should you. In some cases, they need to rush through hirings or risk losing any remaining budget for the year.

Also, what's the alternative? Wait until the New Year? That just means even more competition as people reevaluate their jobs after bonus season. There's also the risk of another wave of layoffs to kick off the new year, which will increase the candidate pool.

So set aside the eggnog for a bit and keep plugging away on those applications. Take it from me, it can happen.

My Business Insider work anniversary? December 10.

Job hunting isn't the only thing you shouldn't hold off on until the New Year.

At the risk of sounding like a cringey LinkedIn influencer, the best time to do something is yesterday; the second-best time is now.

Here are three other things you can check off your to-do list before midnight on December 31:

A new home for the holidays. The holidays can be a great time to go home shopping. In fact, according to one real-estate investor and agent, you could get a better deal. A few days before Christmas is her favorite time to submit an offer because the seller could be distracted or keen to wrap things up before year's end.

Invest then rest. If you're investing for the long haul — which, let's be honest, is the only way you should be investing — the end of the year could be a good time to dive in. Certain investment vehicles, like IRAs, have limits on yearly contributions, meaning you can load up before starting fresh next month.

Silver (dumb)bells. Gyms in January are a mess. Front-run the New Year's resolution crowd and start getting your workouts in now. The last few weeks of December are my favorite: It's mostly empty, and the people there are the gym rats who are always the friendliest. Get a lay of the land before people start doing curls in the squat rack on January 2.