3 Ways Summertime Can Springboard Your Success

The lazy days of summer have officially started, but it doesn’t mean you need to be lazy about managing your career.  The truth is that we all still operate according to the school calendar and take either a physical or mental break during the summer months.

All we want to do is be on vacation with an umbrella drink in our hands and not a care in the world. To a certain extent, we all need that. We need time to unwind, recharge and reward ourselves for the insanely busy lives we all lead.

However, you can do both…take some much-needed time off AND still manage your career like a bad-ass boss!

Here are 3 Ways Summertime Can Springboard Your Success…

1. Boost Your Barb-b-ques

Summertime is the perfect time to socialize and to advance your career. Even if there are burgers on the grill, it’s still an ideal opportunity to create quality connections, expand your network, and practice your elevator pitch. Networking is still the most successful job search strategy with a 75-80% success rate, and you don’t want your elevator pitch to get rusty. Whether you attend a graduation get-together, a family reunion, or a pool party, the social events that take place every summer are a great way to meet new friends, reconnect with old ones and make sure your self-promotion messaging stays fresh.

2. Give LinkedIn a Facelift

From your resume to your LinkedIn profile, these critical marketing tools need to be constantly updated. However, there is not always time throughout the year to gather your thoughts, new headshot and the relevant information needed to take these tools to the next level. The summer is typically a slower time and therefore the perfect time to get your ducks in a row. Pull out your Brag Book, work files, project reports and performance reviews to help jog your memory of all the successes you have achieved throughout the year. You never know when your “dream job/promotion” will call, and you need to be ready to answer and to snap into action.

3. School is Still in Session

Just because school is on summer vacation, doesn’t mean you stop learning. Use some of this valuable downtime to take a class, get a new certification or complete a degree. An ongoing commitment to professional growth and development is mandatory if you want to stay competitive in today’s job market and workplace. Are your skills up-to-date or obsolete? Is your expertise still relevant or does it need a revamp? If you want to get ahead, then don’t allow these summer months to go by without learning something that will keep you marketable and competitive.

The early bird gets the worm, and she who focuses on managing her career over the summer gets ahead. You don’t need to sacrifice vacations, camping trips or reading trashy novels on the beach to make professional progress. But if you don’t want to feel left behind while everyone else is primed, positioned and prepared to hit the ground running in August, then you need to use this time wisely. Woman UP! and use the summertime to springboard your success!