4 Career Moves to Make During Holiday Downtime to Land Your Dream Gig in 2026
Posted on: Dec 04, 2025
Photo courtesy of Photo Credit:Monkey Business Images // ShutterstockEveryone knows that come December, jobs in the film industry start to die down for the holidays. For that reason, it can be difficult to figure out where to start when looking for work in the new year. Here are several ways you can ensure that in 2025 you can procure your next dream gig.
Key Insights
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Year-end is the perfect time to update your résumé, highlight recent experience, and make yourself stand out among other applicants for new year projects.
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Leveraging your existing connections can open doors quickly and create positive working environments, increasing your chances of landing your next gig.
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Staying proactive—monitoring job boards, state production listings, and even creating your own projects—gives you an edge in a fast-paced and competitive industry.
1. Work on your resume
During the year, I find it hard to keep my résumé up to date with the most relevant information (I don’t get a lot of free time when I’m working). I find it best at the end of the year —when work starts to thin out— to update my résumé to best represent where I am currently in my career.
Filmmaking is a creative career, so adorning your résumé with a headshot or a color that represents you is an easy way to make sure you stand out when applying to jobs in the new year. It’s also crucial to edit your résumé and add new experience while knocking off some of your older less relevant items.
Come January, everyone will be applying to all the new projects. Make sure you stand out among the others.
2. Utilize the connections you’ve made
One of the simplest ways to find your next dream gig in the new year is to reach out to the work connections you’ve made in the past. Everyone’s looking for a job in January, so reaching out to people you’ve previously worked with can tell others that you are open to work.
It’s a bonus if you can work with connections you’ve made because you’ll be familiar with each other and how everyone works together. This can create a more positive workplace environment.
In this industry, it is always important to keep and foster connections with as many people as possible because you never know where your next gig may come from. Even if someone isn’t able to land you your next job, you may have the opportunity to give them their next job. That could result in a future job for you, with their help.
3. Keep an eye on job boards
Lots of new shows and movies get greenlit within the first few months of the new year, so it’s important to stay in tune with the job boards and check that they’re posting weekly, if not daily.
This industry is very fast-paced, so being one of the first to apply for a job can lead to a better chance of landing an interview and getting the job. Also, most states have a section on their website for what productions are coming throughout the year, so checking the state entertainment website can help give you an idea of what types of productions are going on in your state.
In this competitive job market, it is paramount that you stay on top of your job applications and are always applying to new roles because you never know where your dream job may come from next.
4. Produce your own project
The new year is a great time to acquire funding for your new project. Some people use the time off in December to work on and write their projects and express their creativity. If that person is you, it can be very beneficial to use the time in the new year to pitch your idea and get funding to create a project of your own.
This also allows you to get your dream crew together and supply jobs to the friends and connections you made. Growing up, I was always taught that if there wasn’t a place for you, to create it. For some, creating their project is a great way to get their dream gig in 2026.
It may seem like a lot of pressure to get a new job at the start of the year, but these simple tools can help make that process easier and less stressful. By being proactive and showing you are passionate about working in this industry, there’s no limit to how many jobs you will work. As long as you are not afraid to put yourself out there you will find it easy to procure your next dream gig.
Key Takeaways
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Keep your resume fresh and visually appealing to capture attention when the new year hiring surge begins.
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Cultivate and reach out to professional connections—they can lead to opportunities faster than applying cold.
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Take initiative: apply early, track new projects, and consider producing your own work to create opportunities and gain momentum in 2026.
Benjamin Hickson is an aspiring producer and production coordinator who has 4+ years experience working on various Film and TV projects. He has a background in Public Relations and served for six years in the military. He also has passion for travel and aims to increase LGBTQ+ representation in the entertainment industry.
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