Turn Off The Computer, Tune Into What’s Happening, & Heat Up the Job Search

As I have mentioned previously on this blog, I am a member of Career Collective, an online community of career professionals who share multiple takes on a common theme each month. June’s focus: How to heat up your job search this summer.

I’m beginning this post with a confession: I have a seasonal summer disorder. If I could spend 12 weeks a year working from a porch, swimming in lakes, and swinging by farmer’s markets and eating vanilla ice cream with strawberry rhubarb sauce, I would. When Twitter and LinkedIn announced a partnership last fall, it was said that they go together like “peanut butter and chocolate.” For those of us who share a common love of flip flops, fresh tomatoes, and barbecues—sometimes the summer isn’t quite as compatible with job search.

This post is for those of you who share my affinity towards summer. Here are three ways you can continue to move your job search forward without sacrificing your time outside:

1. MeetUp and Network! Attend social and recreation gatherings and mix and mingle. If you don’t belong to MeetUp.com yet, check out the site and evaluate potential interests groups to join. (I run the NYC Job Seekers MeetUp in Manhattan.) There are many job seekers groups across U.S. cities, but there are even more interest groups related to personal interests, sports, and professional fields. The NY Tech MeetUp has over 13,000 members, and a monthly meeting after party filled with entrepreneurs, start-up employees, and tech industry leaders. I also enjoy the #140 meetup run by Jeff Pulver.


2. It’s no longer location, location, location. It’s Geolocation, and it’s getting big. Through start-ups such as FourSquare, Gypsii, and Gowalla—you can stay in touch with your friends and networking contacts and meetup spontaneously. Flight delayed at the airport? Check in and see if you have any friends nearby. My prediction: We’ll soon be able to find great seat buddies for Southwest airlines flights with a quick interest scan via cell phone and geo apps…


3. You don't have to stay home and search. Get listings sent to you via SMS. Through TweetMyJobs.com, you can sign up to have jobs that match your location, industry, and job type, sent to you via text message. You can also upload your resume so that employers can see it. During the time I’ve been writing this post over 3,723 jobs have been sent out. What are you waiting for?

For more suggestions on heating up your job search, see take-aways and suggestions from my Career Collective Colleagues. (You can follow them on Twitter using their "handles" listed below; mine is @chandlee)

• Turn Off The Computer, Tune Into What’s Happening, & Heat Up the Job Search, @chandlee

  Heating up the Job Search-How to Stay Motivated During the Summer, @erinkennedycprw

  Light the Fire Under Your Feet, @careersherpa

  Cool Job Seekers Heat Up Their Search in the Summer, @barbarasafani

  Some assembly required, @DawnBugni

  Summertime, Sluggish Economy Provide Strong Motivation for an Updated Resume, @KatCareerGal

  9 Ways to Heat Up Your Job Search This Summer, @heatherhuhman

  Getting Out From Under Chronic, @WorkWithIllness

  Upping Your Job Search Flame; Be 'Needed, Not Needy,' @ValueIntoWords

  Is Your Career Trapped in the Matrix? @WalterAkana

  Put some sizzle in your job hunt - how to find a job now, @keppie_careers

  Summertime - and the Job Search Ain't Easy, @KCCareerCoach

  Heating up your job search. 5 ways to dismiss those winter blues, @GayleHoward

  Hot Tips for a Summer Job Search, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

  Heat Up Your Job Search: Avoid Job Boards, @JobHuntOrg

Comments

[Career Sherpa]

Chandlee, I love to savor the brief summer months as well!

What I love about your advice is that it blends online networking with face to face networking.

Don't forget, hosting a or even cohosting a picnic/barbeque or arranging a night at the baseball field with friends is a great way to get out and enjoy while nurturing relationships.

Enjoy your summer!

[Meg Montford]

Great links for networking, Chandlee. Thanks for sharing. Summer can seem to offer a "pass" on job search - but you showed how to keep searching while having fun!

[zoe]

I'd like to share another helpful site for the job search. It's new in the US and maybe it will give you some fresh job listings.
http://jobs.trovit.com

Trovit sends you email updates for your favorite searches so you know what jobs are out there, first. So it still requires turning on the computer, but just to check your email, which is convenient.

Also, since a lot of people put their job search on the back burner during the summer, means fewer competition in the job pool...so turning it up a notch during summertime could score you the job!!