Making the Most of the August Slowdown

Many job seekers notice a slowdown in openings, interviews, and hires during the warm weeks of August. Hiring managers and recruiters may be on vacation and it can feel like not much is happening. If you’ve noticed this, don’t let it discourage you and do not put your job search on hold. Use this time effectively to better prepare yourself for busier hiring times. After all, an effective job search is not just about sending resumes and getting interviews. It’s a cycle of networking, contacts and building awareness of your abilities and availability. Now is a great time to position yourself for when hiring picks up in the fall. Here are some things you can do now that will keep you engaged in job search and prepare you for busier times ahead:

• Keep networking!
• Remind recruiters of your expertise and availability
• Step up or fine tune your resume and portfolio
• Sign up for Twitter and begin building your professional reputation with useful tweets
• Optimize your LinkedIn profile
• Monitor and improve your online reputation
• Locate online groups related to your field and begin participating and networking there
• Sign up for a conference or professional gathering in the coming months
• Write and submit an article which shares your expertise and helps you gain name recognition
• Offer to mentor someone
• Seek a mentor if you don’t already have one
• Practice tailoring your resume and cover letter to the specific jobs you’re targeting
• Set up informational interviews
• Circle back to people in your inner circle with whom you have not had contact recently
• Attend a local networking event
• Reach out to third level contacts (people you do not yet know) as a way of expanding your network
• Learn a new skill you can add to your resume
• Take an online course
• Read through the Jobfully blog archives to better prepare yourself for the job search
• Set up mock interviews so that you’re well prepared when you get that interview call
• Keep the search going
• Finally, bring some organization and discipline to your job search

Statistics are just averages – they may have nothing to do with the job that you are looking for. There is no time of year when hiring grinds to a complete halt. However, if you are facing a slow time use it to your advantage. Be productive and proactive to position yourself for a great autumn!