9 Ways to Use Summer to Your Career Advantage

BBQ. Watermelon. Sno-Cones. Beach. Summer means something different to everyone, but to most of us, it means freedom. As students, there was nothing better than seemingly endless summer nights. Without the worry of class the next day, life was pretty darn simple.

As adults, most professions require we that we show up at the office, regardless of the season. While summertime can be considered “lazy days,” it’s actually the perfect time to up your game and advance your career.

Especially if your job tends to slow down during the summer season, use these tips to move your professional life ahead:

1. Catch up on professional reading. Whether it’s a white paper or lengthy memo, reading at the beach or the park makes boring text a bit more palatable. Load up on magazines, print out lengthy blog posts you’ve pended for “later,” and download the latest biz books to your portable device.

2. Make new contacts. Fewer people around the office mean more opportunities to interact with coworkers from other departments. This also might give you the opportunity to get your hands on new projects and information. Use the relaxed atmosphere to your advantage. Some of the most important career conversations you will ever have will occur on a summer Friday at 3 p.m. when most people have checked out for the day. Make an extra effort to talk to your boss.

Read more of my post at U.S. News & World Report.