Why Today Is the Most Important Day of the Whole Year for Job Seekers

Looking for a job? You'll have lots of company today: Monster.com found that the first Wednesday of January is the busiest day of the year for job searches. Last year, the site said there was a 70% jump in job searches on that day compared with the average day.

While more competition might sound like a bad thing, it's actually not, because this is the time of year when HR departments also dive back into the resume pool after a holiday lull, so if you want to get noticed, be quick about it. "As soon as you see a job that you are interested in, apply," Monster careers expert Vicki Salemi advised job-seekers on CNBC.

Monster also noted that job searches fell 7% from November to December, so if you'd rather have the odds in your favor, consider continuing — or even stepping up — your job search around the holidays. Yes, more HR people might be on vacation, but the ones that aren't are more likely to appreciate a job seeker who's also putting their nose to the grindstone rather than kicking back with a cup of hot cocoa.

"Many employers are not as busy during the holidays, so candidates may have a better chance of getting the attention of HR departments and hiring managers,” advised Society for Human Resource Management expert panelist Art Glover.