During the summer, companies slow down their hiring processes for a variety of reasons; this could be summer vacations for the hiring authorities in those companies or it might be due to the economy, which appears to slow in the summer. Either way, hiring slows down in the summertime. Historically hiring begins again in early September and continues throughout the rest of the year. Therefore, summer is a great time to re-invigorate your job search and prepare for your “new” fall job search campaign.
Nationally recognized employment expert Fred Coon, founder and CEO of Phoenix-based Stewart, Cooper & Coon, a national executive placement and employment services company, has a few summer suggestions:
- Reposition Your Brand. When was the last time you re-defined your value proposition to a potential employer? How about the last time you updated your resume, or revamped your LinkedIn profile? The additional time that comes with the summer slow-down provides you a perfect time to make sure you are presenting yourself as intended to potential employers.
- Set a Target Deadline. Identify your dream employer or job and set a personal goal of scheduling a meeting with an individual at that organization by Labor Day. Use your existing contacts to find current employees who work at your target company who can help you open that door.
- Find a “Search Partner”. You and your partner (or partners) should get together weekly for coffee, lunch or Happy Hour to learn a new perspective on someone’s job search. By exchanging updates on your efforts it may introduce new strategies or opportunities that hadn’t been considered earlier.
