For some, “summer time and the living is easy” may be their motto for the summer and kudos to them. For others, this economy may have you living on the edge and life is a little stressful. Take that stress and put it to use. Avoid the Scarlett O’Hara approach of “I’ll do it tomorrow” and take time today to get organized. Some say that a job search is a full time job and to some extent, that is often true. So, give yourself a little break now, allowing you to “rev” back up to assess where you are and where you want to go in your life.

Start tomorrow with a routine (whether it’s a morning coffee and yogurt or, like me, a Mango-Pineapple Smoothie and yogurt) and then get down to business. Take some time to search the job boards and mark jobs that you find to be of interest. Make note of the key words in the job descriptions (e.g., demonstrated experience working in a team environment, excellent organizational skills) and see if they appeal to you.  If you see a company that sounds good do a little more research by going to their website and learn about their mission, vision and values.  What is your gut telling you? Is it saying “this sounds good” or “Run. Run like the wind.”  Don’t even take time to apply for a job that isn’t a match from the get-go! Consider keeping a notebook to look for trends in what is of interest to you.

Update your resume to match the job descriptions. Remember, refrain from blanketing the world with a generic resume. Take time and demonstrate that you have done your research!

Network, network, network. Follow up with any resumes that you may have sent out and inquire about the status. Ask friends if they know of any job opportunities or if they may have friends who might have something of interest with whom you could talk. Volunteer for your favorite charity and network some more, all the while giving back to the community. Possible employers like to see that you have something on your resume that is current and a volunteer experience may be just the thing!

It’s difficult, at times, to stay motivated if you are unemployed or need a job change, but stick to it  and know that your efforts will result in making your summer time worthwhile, ultimately resulting in easing the stress of life!