Job hunting in the summer can be a real drag. It’s hard to stay focused on trawling job boards and sending out resumes when the sun is shining outside.

But here’s the good news – you should STOP doing that!

Our biggest tip to summer job seekers is to GET OUTSIDE.

One of the most unused, and let’s be honest – most avoided – job search tools, is networking. But let’s not even use that word, because it comes with a lot of negative preconceptions for most people.

We’re simply saying one of the best ways to get your job search rolling is to socialize. Go out there and take friends for coffee, meet them for lunch. Let people know you’re job hunting and ask them one of the most valuable questions everyone should ask – “do you know anyone in X?” And X can be the role you want, the industry you want to work for or your dream company.

A lot of us take on job hunting as a solo project. But, as long as you’re not trying to search confidentially, you should be letting it known high and low that you are on the market.

The goal is to build relationships. These should be more like informational interviews, not job interviews. You should avoid overtly asking someone “can you get me a job?” But with proper rapport building, they’ll want to help you get a foot in the door.

So why not add a little heat to your job search this summer by tapping some shoulders and seeing what happens, you’ll be surprised where it can take you!