My husband is currently out of work and looking for a new job. Unfortunately it’s July and the biggest vacation month of the summer. He’s had three interviews with one company already and still needs to meet with one more member of the executive management team because when he met with the rest, this person was on… you guessed it, vacation!
Typically the pace slows down during the summer. People leave the office early, come in late and the normal lag time of the application/interviewing/follow-up process is doubled. This can be very frustrating for anxious job seekers and for understaffed departments waiting for a new hire.
Does this sound familiar? Then break out a B.B. King CD because you’re a victim of the summertime job seeking blues. Not everyone can afford to take the summer off and there is a lot of additional stress when unemployed, but let’s face it there are worse times to be out of work and there are plenty of advantages. Here are a few:
- If money is tight, you can at least sit outside on a sunny day with your laptop and update your resume, search for positions, soul search, etc…
- Your lawn will never look better. Take your frustrations out on the weeds.
- Exercise. The endorphins released will improve your mood, help decrease stress levels and what you lose in pounds, you’ll gain in confidence.
- Volunteer somewhere. Not only will you feel good for paying it forward, but this can also look good on your resume.
- If money is an issue (when is it not, really?) look into working part-time. You’ll be bringing in supplemental income and will still have flexibility for scheduling interviews.
- Network. You have some extra time on your hands to connect with your network, especially those contacts you’ve fallen out of touch with. Let people know you are looking for a new position.
- Do you have kids? If so, enjoy this time at home with them. They grow up way too fast.
On the quintessential summer morning when I’m getting ready for work, I experience a twinge of envy that my husband gets to stay home and enjoy the day. He is spending quality time with our son who will be entering his senior year of high school. If I could, I would change places with him, but more so I could take the increasing weight he is carrying off of his shoulders.
I realize not every day is a sunny summer day and the possibility to be unemployed for a significant amount of time is a grim reality. Formulate a back-up plan. How much income do you need to pay your bills? What sacrifices need to be made? This is a time for creative thinking and resourcefulness. Think of the worst-case scenario and prepare for it because if you stick your head in the sand, your backside will get sunburned.
E.J. Fechenda is the Audience Data Manager for MedTech Media. Since 2008 she has helped manage Healthcare Finance JobSpot and Healthcare IT JobSpot - now merged with HIMSS JobMine. She is not a Human Resources professional, nor a healthcare expert, but over the years she's accumulated a lot of feedback and insight from both job seekers and employers alike. Each week E.J. will deliver a blog based on this information. One week will be employer focused and the next week, job seeker focused.
