Labor Day may be just around the corner and summer interns may be packing their bags to head back to school, but your summer job search has just begun! Even though you may feel like you need a break from all of the chaos that is your personal and work life, there is nothing like taking advantage of the job search marketplace when others are heading to Disneyland!
Wearing shorts and thongs this summer may be on your mind, but think how you might get a jump-start on the competition this fall by planning some strategic summer job search fun.
Here are five things you can do this summer to not waste your time and be ready the fall hiring season!
1-Summer Lunch: Your job search is like a summer picnic, be outside and enjoy the time with friends. Meeting, greeting and yes treating friends, colleagues and potential job leads over the summer when things can be a bit slower is a nice way to show your appreciation and when a job opportunity does appear, you can always reference the, “Hey great to see you last week, I just heard your company has an opening …”. Makes the ask seem natural and not forced and may be the best lunch you ever spent!
2-Wardrobe Review: You might like to wait for spring or fall to do your wardrobe purge, but summer might be a good time to spend both on clearing out your closet and shopping for some new “school” clothes. Finding deals, clearance sales and having something new to wear is a nice way to start your job search and find a reason to buy those new pair of shoes. Getting rid of anything in your closet you have not worn for more than a year is also another way to get yourself ready and clear at the unwanted in your life to make room for the new
3-Resume Redo: You might find it easier to redo your closet but finding time to review your resume might not be a bad way to spend your summer. Hiring a resource to help you with your resume, finding time to go through your list of accomplishments and updating any new skills or learning or awards you may have earned since your last interview is a good way to stay focused on the moment and get clear on what you want for the future.
4-Reference List: Spending quality time reaching out to those who may have helped you along the way, provided guidance and support when you needed it or were a mentor to you in some way, might be well worth your time to reconnect if you have not stayed in touch for awhile. Reaching out to your network of trusted advisors, BEFORE you actually need their help is a nice way to stay real and be genuine about your commitment and ask permission to use them as a reference in the future.
5-Have fun: Just because you feel you may need to look for work or are bored with your current situation, make the process of finding a new opportunity fun. Find ways to take the pressure off of you needing or wanting a new job. Know that you can and will land your next opportunity when you least expect it.
It’s always good to have a plan, but take the fading summer sun as a sign that it’s never too late to get ready for what you want and find time to have fun as well.
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