Life is full of distractions. This is never truer than in the summer.
June is filled with engagement and graduation parties, weddings, and Father’s Day. July kicks off with the 4th of July and is followed by vacations and weekend trips. August brings thoughts of back-to-school and other fall activities.
This is true for you AND hiring managers/recruiters. However, with a little planning you can have fun and move your career transformation forward.
Can you set aside as little as one hour a week this summer to transform your career?
Good. Then do it. Mark one hour each week on your calendar to transform your career.
Here are three tips to ensure you avoid summer distractions and move your career transformation forward:
- Use June to identify your direction. Briefly assess where you are now and write down where you want to be at the end of the year, in three years and in five years with your career.
- Use July to clarify your unique value. What helps you stand out? What value do you offer? How is your unique value relevant to those you can help you get where you want to be at the end of the year, in three years and in five years? Jot down your answers to these questions and clarify your message.
- Use August to connect and to communicate your unique value/brand message to your network and brand ambassadors. Make a list of those you need to contact and bring them up to speed on your plans. Ask for help and support and set up fall meetings with the key influencers in your network.
One of the best (and easiest) ways to avoid summer distractions is simply to set aside at least one hour per week to manage the perception of others, define a clear message, be visible to those who can support you, and set a course for the fall. You will not only enjoy the summer fun, but you will also strategically move your career forward.
Have an amazing summer!
These 3 tips are great. Everyone thinks of the end/beginning of the year as the time to do these activities. No one seems to think of mid-year as a time for doing it again and correcting course. Thanks for posting this.
Cindy this is so timely. Now that I am a business owner, June reminds me to take a look at the big picture, because of the end of the fiscal year. I just spent some time on business development and realized this would be a great thing to calendar on a regular basis.
I love how you break up the process not only into easy steps but into a timely fashion (such as a season) Summer certainly does allow for distractions if we are not focused and intentional!!! Thanks for this reminder for those searching for a position as well as all those who want a chance to play more 🙂
I agree with Laura – thank you for making it easy and step-by-step! I definitely let summer distract me. And even though I’m not looking for a job, your steps are perfect for getting my business message out there, too.
Many of us intentionally ramp-down work and business over the summer. But that doesn’t mean we should turn it off completely! I set a few tangible goals for myself and my business this summer, like you are suggesting, and it feels great to be able to reach them while still enjoying myself! 🙂