7 Ways Summer Parties Can Help Your Job SearchOr Hurt It

7 Ways Summer Parties Can Help Your Job Searchâ€"Or Hurt It 7 Ways Summer Parties Can Help Your Job Search- Or Hurt It Bring on the BBQ! Summer parties are full of good food and good friends- and a great way to help your job search. While you don’t necessarily have to bring your resume and cover letter with you, make sure to have your job search game face on and be ready to make the most of a summer party, professionally and personally. Here are three ways in which summer parties can help your job search: It gives you the chance to meet new people. Let’s say that you’ve been to local and virtual networking events, and you’re starting to see the same familiar faces each time. At a summer party, though, you’re bound to meet new people, such as friends and colleagues of your friends and family. This is a totally untapped pool of people with whom to network! It’s an easier way to network. So, networking isn’t your thing. That’s true for many job seekers. The great part about using a summer party to help your job search is that there’s a lot less pressure as you mingle and meet new people. After all, you won’t consider each and every person as a prospective boss or potential colleague, so not having to deal with that stress can help you have an easier time networking and hopefully produce better results as well. And after the party, be sure to follow up with the people you’ve connected with. Opt to connect with them on LinkedIn- and not on more personal social media channels, like Facebook- since you want to keep your connection professional. You can practice your elevator pitch. At a summer party, most likely everyone is in a (somewhat) good mood. Use that to your advantage by circulating throughout the party and chatting people up- even those who are in a totally unrelated field. Talking about your job search (i.e., what type of job you’re looking for, if you want to telecommute or job share, etc.) can help you refine your own elevator pitch by knowing what are the important things to say when meeting someone new. Here are four ways that a summer party could hurt your job search: Just as a summer party can be a perfect way to network and improve your job search, there are some things to keep in mind to prevent any potential pitfalls. You might be too relaxed. Chalk it up to the bevy of tasty beverages, splashing around with your kids in the pool, or the sun’s strong rays, and it’s easy to get a little loose at a summer party. And rightly so- except that you also want to use this opportunity to improve your job search. So make sure that when you’re talking to someone who might be able to connect you with a company that you want to work for that you’re, ahem, dressed appropriately. And above all, act professionally, since you want the impression you make on everyone to be a positive one. You might talk about your kids- and not about your work. Your child got invited to a summer party, and you’re tagging along to supervise. At the event, you find yourself chatting with fellow working parents about- your kids. Even if the party is for the under-10 set, be sure that the conversation isn’t solely kid-centric. Talk to the fellow partygoers in attendance and find out what they do. While you might know them as “Emily’s mom” or “Peter’s dad,” they’re still professionals with a whole life outside of their kids, too. Be sure to learn their names and make sure they know yours, too. You drink. When you’re at a networking event, you know that it’s a strictly water or soft drink kind of night. But when you’re at a summer party, you might be more apt to partake of pretty summery drinks, or crack open a few cold ones. Thing is, if you do happen to meet someone who could help you in your job search- and you’re slurring a little bit- it might cause a negative first impression, and thus cost you the chance of getting a recommendation for a job. You expect too much from your new contacts. It’s one thing to try to establish a connection with new people at a summer party. It’s quite the other to actually expect them to get you a job. While you do want to make it known that you’re looking for a job, you don’t want to put any pressure on anyone to become a job finder for you. Be polite, be professional, and promise to follow up in a few days to find out not only what they can do for you, but what you can do for them, too. Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- you’ll get a month free service and they’ll get 30% off!