If you’re trying to make a change in your career, summer can feel a bit demoralizing with the pace of hiring feeling slower.

It’s true that it often takes longer for hiring managers to get back to you about positions. And hearing about next steps after an interview might take longer with people’s vacations and different work schedules during the summer months. But hiring definitely does happen!

But if you’re feeling like the job search process has felt slow, and like your applications have gone into a black hole, there’s still a lot you can do over the next few months that's critical to making a career transition.
 

GET CLEAR ON WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

Are you looking at job boards, but aren’t really clear about what types of jobs or industries or organizations you’re interested in pursuing? Well now is the time to do a lot of the reflection and work to get clear on what you’re looking for!

If someone asks you, ‘what are you looking to do next?’ or ‘what kind of job are you searching for?’ you need to know how to answer them. If they’re willing to help you, but you can’t tell them what you’re looking for and why, they can't give you the support or connections you probably need. 

So first thing’s first: Find clarity on the specifics of what you’re looking for.

Need help knowing where to start?

Sign up for our week-long Career Reset Email Series by dropping your email in the form at the very bottom of the page.

Or try these Pivot Vacation Worksheets that offer some reflections and actions to start your career transition.
 

PRACTICE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Even if you know what you’re looking for, being able to communicate it to others is a whole other ball game. Once you know what you’re looking for, you want to make sure that you can tell others in a concise, specific, polished way.

There are a few other things that you’ll want to be prepared for in terms of communicating during a job search as well. For example, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get the, ‘tell me about yourself…’ or the, ‘walk me through your resume…’ question. Do you have your 2-3 minute response down? Do you know how to tell your story about why you’re there and why that job is the right fit for you?

Consistently working with clients on this piece, I see that most everyone dreads the question and just sort of wings it initially. And for most everyone I work with, it takes a few hours to really feel confident and clear on how to answer it. To really nail the interview and start off on the best foot, getting your answers to these questioned super refined is critical.

For more on answering these questions, read this, and this.

Feel ready to answer those questions? How about other common interview questions you’re likely to get? You’re going to have to do it at some point so why not now? Summer is a great time to work on these answers so they’re ready to go when your search heats up and you’re interviewing.
 

GO SHOPPING

No, really, I'm being serious!

Have you ever gotten off the phone after scheduling an interview you’re pumped for and realize, ‘I have nothing to wear!’ Even if it’s just the top half of you that’s going to appear on a Zoom screen, you want to feel confident.

Why not get that interview outfit, or special accessories prepped so you don’t have to worry about it when the time comes?
 

UPDATE YOUR MATERIALS

Is your master resume 100% up to date, accurate and strong? If not, now is definitely the time to do that.

How about your reference list?
Or portfolio?
Or writing samples to fit the types of jobs you’re applying for.

You can’t really prep specific tailored resumes, or cover letters ahead of time since they really need to be customized to the position (and writing samples should be tailored too as much as you can), but getting everything in order as best as possible now means it wouldn’t be as big of a lift down the line.

More on tailoring a resume, or cover letter here.

CHECK YOUR ONLINE PROFILE

Just like your master resume, you should make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date with recent accomplishments, skills, and a solid summary at the top that clearly states who you are and what your specialty is (and potentially what you’re looking for).

In addition to LinkedIn, now’s a great time to check your Facebook profile and any other social sites you're on to make sure that the content – both written and photos – are professional enough that they wouldn't raise any red flags or seem inappropriate to hiring managers.

Trust me, many recruiters and HR staff these days are more likely to go straight to the internet and Google you than look at your resume.

More resources on updating and using LinkedIn here.
 

SUMMER NETWORKING

Who isn’t interested in catching up over a happy hour drink at a nice outside spot during the summer? Perhaps now more than ever. And people are networking virtually more than ever as well.

Grab a beer or glass of rose with a former colleague or others who you might want to enlist to help you in your job search. Summer is a great time to connect with people who you haven’t seen in a while if you can get your schedules to line up!  

Feel awkward reaching out? Check out their Facebook or LinkedIn profile and see how they’ve managed throughout the pandemic. You can always start a conversation saying you’d love to catch up now that we’re coming out of the pandemic and you’d really value their counsel as you think through the next step in your career.

Summer doesn’t have to mean a pause or slow down in your job search. If anything, it can be a great time to get organized and proactive in your search.