When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.
1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs
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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.
2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car
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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.
3. Plan An Office Outing
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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!
4. Organize Group Walks
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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
5. Eat Lunch At The Park
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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.
6. Organize Office Sports
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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.
7. Join A Professional Group
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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.
8. Have An Office BBQ
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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.
9. Wake Up Early
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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!
10. Strategically Use Your Time Off
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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.
11. Bike To Work
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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!
There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!
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Excuse me. Come again? Are you kidding? What is the first thing you do when you are in need of more information on ANY topic? About a celebrity? About a dream vacation? The weather? You Google it. That's right. I know you do—you Google it. What makes you think you are un-Googleble? Simply put, Facebook can affect your online brand, your digital reputation, your corporate identity, and ultimately your employability.
The most important thing you must realize is EMPLOYERS WILL ABSOLUTELY GOOGLE YOU. If you have a name, you are Googleble. If you have any social networking account, even if just one—you are definitely Googleble, which means your reputation is searchable. So, now that we established this, what do you do with that information?
A few takeaways...Facebook counts. Perhaps Facebook itself won't lead you to a job opportunity (perhaps). So, how does all this pertain to your (FB) Facebook account and your job search/career? For starters, if you are a professional who is already using Twitter, LinkedIn, and other online sites to job search, don't discard Facebook as a useless tool. Facebook results in Google searches. Therefore, it plays a role in building/influencing your online image. Consequently, you must decide if you are going to protect it (set it to private) or place some serious thought on what you share via FB.
Executives and hiring managers are on Facebook too. Imagine this: you decided to network via LinkedIn and Twitter (because you are just that cool). You connect with a few folks. Now these contacts found you on Facebook and request you as a "friend." You were not counting on this. (C'mon, you had no idea there were apps to find your Twitter friends on Facebook or the HR contact you connected with on LinkedIn would send you a friend request via FB.) Now what are you going to do about the not-so-polished brand you have been unintentionally building via FB?
What goes online, stays online forever. If you are not going to use FB to project a professional brand, yes you can set it to private. However, realize if you are networking with others—nothing is 100% protected online. If someone has access to it, it can be copied and it can be shared. Hence, it can go viral!
Where is all the fun going? I hear you now, "Can't anyone have fun online anymore?" Sure, but, remember that old saying, "Don't mix business with pleasure." Well, at times, that is still good advice. And, of course, it depends on what you call fun.
For social networking to be successful you must be friendly, and yes, some associates may become your friends. What you have to be cognizant about is which friends, what topics, and what's off limits. If you are ranging on-brand from professional to personal life, you have nothing to worry about. Otherwise, you may need two separate Facebook accounts.
Be sure to join me on Facebook!
Rosa Elizabeth Vargas is the owner of Creating Prints, a professional resume writing service. She's an Elite Master Resume Writer (MRW), Certified Expert Resume Writer (CERW), Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW), and Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW).Read more » articles by this approved career expert | Click here » if you’re a career expertPhoto credit: Shutterstock
