While many job seekers slow down their job searching efforts during the summer months, there are several great reasons why you should stay the course! Understanding the good and the bad of summer job searching will help you step up your networking efforts to make the most of the season.

First let’s look at the downside of summer job searching and how to make the most of them.

1. The Process Can Slow Down – While hiring doesn’t stop, it certainly slows down. Given that it is prime time for vacations, interviews and meetings are harder to schedule and the whole process can be stretched out over a longer period. Knowing this, make sure you keep up your job search during these longer gaps.
2. People Are Generally Not in a Rush – The summer tends to cause people to slow down. They are planning vacations themselves and with others away at their office, the sense of business urgency may slow down. Therefore, the entire process of reviewing CVs, booking interviews and making hiring decisions can take longer. It is up to you to maintain a sense of urgency when planning any networking meetings or following up with potential employers about the status of their hiring decisions.
3. Business Attire Can Become a Challenge– Dressing appropriately for networking meetings and interviews is always a challenge as the heat of the summer starts amping up. You face wider extremes when moving from the heat into air-conditioned spaces. It is important to remember that, while lighter attire may be more comfortable, it is important to always maintain a professional appearance in order to make the best impression.

On the flip side, there are a number of reasons why pressing on with your job searching activities in the summer can be extremely positive.

1. Less Competition – Hiring is still occurring in the summer. While other job seekers may fall into the trap of thinking they should slow down their job search during these months, it only allows you to take advantage of a smaller pool of applicants. Despite it being a busier time of year for vacations, keep up the pace on setting up networking opportunities and differentiating yourself with your persistence and consistency.
2. Networking Options are Much Broader – With the warmer weather of the summer months, your options for networking meeting places are that much wider. Take advantage of things like patios and outdoor cafes as meeting spots. In addition, given the longer daylight, meetings can occur after hours. All of these set a great tone for the meeting.
3. People are Generally in a Good Mood in the Summer – With more vacations in the summer, things tend to move at a slower pace at work. Add to this, the excitement of an upcoming vacation or the fond memories of a recent getaway and you will tend to find that people are generally in a better mood. Take advantage of this to increase your networking efforts and use vacations as a positive ice-breaker when opening discussions.

So, you can see that while summer may offer up some challenges, it is also a time of year that increases job search possibilities and opportunities. What differences have you noticed in your job searching across different seasons?