By Chelsea Babin

Searching for a job can be a stressful time. Whether you’re in the midst of your own search or you have family and friends who are looking for their next big IT opportunity, everyone can use a little help along the way. You’re looking for gifts this holiday season anyways, so why not pick up a few gifts that will help with the job search? Here are 11 potential gifts that will help immensely in anyone’s IT job search:

– Professional resume review: Every professional has a resume, but when was the last time you combed through yours to make sure there were no errors? Instead of spending your time looking for misspelled words, gift yourself or your job hunting friend a professional resume edit. A lot of internet based resume services offer to write your resume and do a pretty bad job for a lot of money. But, if you use a service like Fiverr, you have a pool of professional editors to choose from. Plus, it only costs $5!

– Courses or books for developing new technical skills: One of the best gifts you can give to someone searching for a job is a gift that will help them develop in demand skills. Technical professionals at any level should always be advancing their skillset. Whether you’re gifting them online courses or programming books, you’ll be help them propel their technical careers forward.

– Tickets to a technical conference to improve skills and make connections: Technical conferences are great for developing skills and widening your professional network. If you or someone you’re looking to buy a gift for are searching for an IT job and can’t afford tickets to one of your favorite tech conferences this year, this would be a great option. You never know when your expanded technical network could result in an opportunity that changes your career!

– Snazzy new interview outfit that screams professional and ready to work: First impressions are essential for a great interview. When you looked professional and polished you can reduce your pre-interview anxiety. Gifting an IT job seeker with a new, go-to professional outfit for interviews will help reduce their stress and land a great job.

– At home printer for printing copies of your resume to bring with you: If you or your friend or relative often forget to bring printed copies of your resume to an interview, it may be time to ask for a printer. Going to an interview without at least one physical copy of your resume makes you seem amateur and unprepared. One of the easiest ways to avoid it is having a printer at home so you don’t have to worry about the lines at Kinko’s making you late for an interview.

– Motivational mug that encourages them to keep up the search: Cheesy? Yes. Cheap? Also yes. If you’re looking for a small gift to help an IT job seeker along their way, you could always get them a mug with a few inspirational words that inspire them to keep up the job search even when they hit road blocks. Or, if you’re really cheap, you could direct them to our job search motivation Pinterest board. All of the inspirational value plus zero cost to you because, isn’t it the thought that counts?

– Subscription to Wired for all of the latest technology news: Staying up to date with the tech industry could give you a competitive advantage in today’s market. While Wired has plenty of informative, interesting tech centered articles on their website, they also have a great monthly magazine that you can subscribe to in both print and digital formats.

– Gift card for a professional haircut to keep the job seeker looking sharp and professional: Just like the new interview outfit, a gift card for a sleek haircut could make all of the difference in a first impression. This is an especially effective gift if the IT job seeker is currently unemployed and needs to spend their limited resources everywhere except their personal appearance.

– Notebook to keep track of the places they’ve applied to and other details: Keeping track of where you’ve applied and details about each position can be a lifesaver. It will help remind you when you need to follow up with certain employers and which positions you need to do more research on if you get an interview. It’s a simple, helpful gift that every job seeker can use to their benefit.

– New gadgets that will make learning new skills a breeze: Learning new skills is great but if you’re trying to learn them on old, outdated technology it can be pretty depressing. Does the IT job seeker in your life need help updating their technology? Consider getting them an updated gadget as a gift!

– Nice leather portfolio: When you spend so much time carefully compiling the perfect portfolio to show off to potential employers, it’s a shame to stick it in an ugly, worn portfolio. Gift your IT job seeker friends and family a new polished, professional leather portfolio! It will give off an excellent impression in any interview.

IT job seekers need gifts too! Why not tailor your gift giving to help them with their job search? Any of the suggestions above are sure to help technical professionals advance their careers and help you cross someone off your gift-giving list.