The Summer Job Hunt

Ah, the good ole days of summer are here. The days are longer, schools out, and if you are like me, you are planning your summer vacation. If you are planning your military-to-civilian transition, you might even be taking a break from your job search for the summer.

Well, if you are taking a summer vacation from your job search, make it a short one. Many job seekers decide to take a vacation from the job hunt so the competition for jobs this summer could be a little bit slimmer. So with a knock-out resume and less competition, you can get your name to the top of the interview list.

Here are a few tips to keep your job hunt going strong despite the lazy days of summer:

1. Network, network, network. Take advantage of the summertime activities to network. Your kids’ baseball or softball games can be a great place to meet other parents, some of whom may know of job opportunities at their company.

2. Create a job search schedule. If you are job hunting, you’ve probably heard the saying: looking for a job is a full-time job. Be diligent about the time you spend job hunting and ensure you dedicate enough hours a day or week to your job search. Since the kids are out of school, you may have more distractions at home but, if you schedule time for job search, you can land a job and still enjoy your summer.

3. Monitor your online profile. Summer is the perfect time of year to relax, let go, and have some fun. You just don’t want all that fun to sabotage your job search. Many recruiters now use the Web and social networking sites to vet candidates. Don’t let your summer party pics (e.g. you in a bikini or revealing summer dress with an adult beverage) be the image that a recruiter uses to eliminate you from consideration for a job.

Take time to enjoy your summer but don’t neglect your job search. According to Bradley-Morris, Inc., the largest military job placement firm in the U.S., 27% of their candidates are hired during the summer months. So the summer vacation season may just be the break you need to get a job offer.