I hear it multiple times every year from clients and students, at both the beginning of the summer, and at Thanksgiving.
“What’s the point of continuing my transition process? Everyone’s on vacation, not much is going on, so I think I’ll take the time off myself and reconvene in September (or January).”
Big mistake. Aside from the fact that both August and January tend to be high volume hiring months, abandoning a search leaves the field to your competition. Just because some businesses slow up during holiday/vacation times, doesn’t mean that building relationships stops.
Your competition will be lying on the beach on the Vineyard, visualizing their energetic return to action in September. By the way, September is frequently a tougher time to get things going. Not to mention the loss of momentum involved, which makes things even more emotionally draining than job search usually is. I’m not suggesting that taking a break during a search is a bad thing – it’s actually a great idea – but to lose a whole season when everyone else is taking time off is not smart.
As a matter of fact, reaching people you want to meet might be easier than usual. Things do slow up, but there’s a good likelihood it could work to your advantage.
Yes, some organizations do get slow during December or late August, especially in financial services, but does that mean companies are closed? Of course not. Someone is keeping the place open, right? There is some business going on. And there will be, therefore, valuable contacts to be made.
It’s also easier to get people to spend some time with you at these times; the overall pace is usually slower. Many would rather talk with you than work! And talking leads to business relationships, which leads to effective networking, which…
Just in case your relationship-building does slow down a bit during these times, it is also a perfect time to do your basic research, stay knowledgeable in your field, utilize the somewhat empty business libraries (in New York City, for example, SIBL), re-think your e-mail writing campaign, organize your resources and records, and get a lot done. We’re now in the period following Memorial Day. It’s time to step it up.