Upskilling: Your Path to Personal and Professional Growth

Are you in the market for a new job this summer? If so, you might want to factor summer vacation into your job search strategy.

After over a year of remote work and social distancing, the world is slowly but surely returning to normal. As COVID-19 vaccinations become increasingly available and travel restrictions loosen up, we can expect to see more workers taking time off this summer.

Just this past July 4 weekend, nearly 50 million Americans traveled for the holiday, up 40% from 2020 and only 2.5% below the record set in 2019.

While the return of summer vacation is great news for those of us who had to cancel our plans last summer, it can create more obstacles for job seekers during this time.

“With all of those people traveling soon and throughout the summer, it’s bound to disrupt some hiring processes as recruiters, talent professionals and hiring managers take time off to relax,” writes Andrew Seaman, Senior Editor for Job Search & Careers at LinkedIn News.

Does that mean job seekers should put their search on hold for the summer? 

Not necessarily! 

However, it is important for job seekers to revamp their strategy during this time. In his latest article, Seaman highlights several key recommendations from hiring experts. Here are our top three:

1. Keep going

The waiting game is one of the most stressful parts of the job search, and summer can certainly extend this period. The slower pace of hiring processes this summer might discourage active candidates from applying to roles but this will only lead to missed opportunities.

“You must keep your job search going so you don’t miss out on opportunities. Otherwise, people who jump into their searches during the summer or those who do keep going will gain an advantage,” says Seaman.

2. Follow up

Longer response times don’t equate to a rejected application. Recruiters and talent professionals will eventually return to the office and once they do, they will pick up right where they left off. 

Career consultant Jessica Williams touches on the importance of the follow-up email, urging job seekers to be particularly mindful of the following for their job applications:

• The date the application was submitted
• Who the application was sent to
• If the contact sent out an out-of-office reply, their return-to-office date 

“Set a reminder on your phone and create a laid out follow up email to be sent on that date. This way you’re ahead of the follow up and you don’t have to stress,” writes Williams.

3. Reevaluate your job search

Slow periods are a great time for candidates to research roles in new industries and develop new skillsets. They’re also the perfect time to network. 

“Research other industries/companies that you are interested in and create a targeted job search strategy by creating a list and identify key players you can proactively network with,” writes career coach and recruiter June Caloroso.

What’s next?

Someone else’s vacation should never get in the way of your career goals. Green Key is here to support your search. Yes, even in the middle of summer. 

In fact, we’re posting more jobs for you to check out every day. Take a look for yourself: https://greenkeyllc.com/jobs/