How to keep your summer job search from going cold - without missing out on all the fun

Picture this. 

It’s Friday afternoon.

It’s 28 degrees. 

There’s not a cloud in the sky. 

School’s out and you can hear children playing in the distance. 

…or much closer than you’d like! 

A gentle breeze comes through your window.

The smell of BBQ wafts in. 

…Summer is in full swing!

And the LAST thing you want to do is work on your job applications.

In fact, the thought of sitting in front of your laptop past 5 pm is so unpleasant you shut your computer and immediately run out to the nearest purveyor of Pimms. 

Cheers!

But then, the Sunday scaries swoop in and suddenly your desire to find a new job is renewed. 

You’re stuck between the draw of Summer fun and the determination to find more fulfilling work. 

Sound familiar? 

Summer has often been thought of as the worst time to apply for a new job. 

With everyone jetting off, or taking time out, the pace of work is disrupted and generally the hiring process slows down.

Although no one could be blamed for being more interested in vacations rather than vacancies. 

The summer doesn’t need to be a write-off for your job search. 

So here are three ways to help you keep up your summer searching, without missing out on all the fun!

1. Put your feet up

You heard us! 

RELAX. 

It’s Summer. 

Who said finding job opportunities needed to be this hard? 

The best way to get ahead in your search is to work smarter, not harder!

If you find yourself doom scrolling through jobs boards, consider getting specific with your search. 

Now is not the time to mass apply and hope for the best. 

Not only will this not get you the job you really want. You’ll take up precious time filling out applications you don’t really care about when you could be having fun in the sun. 

Fabulous Filters 

If you find your inbox full of irrelevant job alerts, filters will be your new best friend.  

Because, when it comes to job hunting, less is definitely more. 

On Escape the City we have over 10 filters, including: job type, level, salary, industry, remote options, and even by B-corp status and our Escape 100 companies.

So you can ensure you’re only being alerted to the most relevant opportunities.  

Make sure you’ve got your filters set across all the platforms you use, so you’re only getting the cream of the crop. 

Celebration for Delegation 

Did you know, there are people that will help you find a job and you don’t have to pay them! 

Magic, right? 

They’re called recruiters! 

Now, we know, recruiters can get a bad wrap. 

But stick with us. 

Because a great recruiter can be a game changer when it comes to finding a new role, now and in the future! 

If you know what you’re looking for and get specific with your criteria, a recruiter can take on a LOT of the heavy lifting. 

They'll also give advice and guidance on your application to give you the best chance to get an interview. 

So, do your research and get some recommendations from people in your industry on which recruiters are best. 

And once you’ve found a good’un, hold on. 

Some people work with the same recruiter throughout their whole career. 

Imagine, you may never need to look for another job again, they’ll just come to you. 

What a dreamy thought. 

2. Summer school 

Have you been finding yourself falling short during applications? Or would you love to take a step up but are missing a few of the criteria? 

Summer is the perfect time to do some personal development. 

Because you can easily read a business book from a sunbed while sipping a mojito! 

So think, what would you like to be an expert in? 

Start exploring and developing these skills through books, online courses or workshops. 

Not only will you feel great for building your brian, it’s a massive tick for employers to see you’re actively working on your own development. 

Equally, you might want to use the summer to learn more about yourself. 

If you’ve been using a scattergun approach to job applications and aren’t really sure what you want, spend some time becoming an expert in you. 

Not sure where to start? 

Flo Coaching has built a handy resource with Seven Simple Steps to Finding Your Career Compass. 

Give it a go here! 

3. Get Social 

We don’t know about you, but all we want to do in Summer is hang out with our friends and spend the long evenings socialising and soaking up the sun. 

So what if we could tell you that going out could get you your next job? 

We’re not joking. 

The research backs it up. It’s been shown that up to 85% of roles are filled through people’s professional networks. 

So neglecting your work circle could be costly. 

Summer is the season for events and with lighter evenings and more energy to get out and about it’s the perfect time to start amping up your networking. 

Would you rather be drinking free wine and chatting to interesting people? 

Or answering your 20th ‘Why do you want to work for us’ question?

There are so many ways to connect with companies both in person and online. 

And methods of networking to suit everyone from extrovert to introvert. 

Here are some top tips from coach Flo on how to start building your network: 

• Start now. As the Chinese proverb goes ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now’. Networks take time to grow but if you nurture them the payoff is huge. Start right now by following the companies you most want to work for and identifying people in them who you’d like to connect with. 
• Follow your genuine interests. Nothing is harder work than trying to be interested in something you’re not. People love talking to people with genuine enthusiasm, use this as your guide and you can’t go wrong. 
• Be bold! Make that first move. It might be scary, but think, will you care about this in 5 hours, 5 days, 5 years? Probably not! So give it a go. Remember ‘you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’ (Wayne Gretzky). 

You don’t need to give up on your summer to find the job of your dreams. 

Remember 

1. It’s about working smart, not hard. 
2. You can use this time to learn and grow. 
3. Who you know is still super important so nurture those networks. 

We hope you’re feeling inspired to keep up your summer search. 

Take a look at our Job Board and don’t forget to use those filters! 

Happy job searching!

References: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-survey-reveals-85-all-jobs-filled-via-networking-lou-adler/