If you are in a job hunt, it is easy to convince yourself to take off the summer. After all, no one is going to make a hiring decision before Labor Day. Too many partners are either on vacation or trying to get away for vacation.

While it is true that less hiring occurs in the summer months and that many people do take vacation in July and August, the summer is a good time for informational interviewing. Some of the lawyers you are trying to connect with will be away; but clients take vacations as well so some of your contacts will actually have more free time.

Take advantage of this situation and start scheduling time to meet with lawyers who are willing to speak with you about your search. Ask for career advice. Get feedback on your resume. See if they can suggest others that might be worth calling. Inquire about project work. Ask questions about their practice and learn about their personal interests.

While many firms find it difficult to focus on hiring in the summer, July and August are a time for strategic planning. If you schedule informational interviews in this season, you will have much more momentum in your job hunt going into the fall. You will already be on the radar screen of the firms who are thinking about expanding. You will already have some leads when September arrives.

Today's mantra about marketing legal services is "relationship building." There are many ways to build professional relationships throughout the year. Some lawyers like to get involved in nonprofit activities or trade associations. Some lawyers who are successful at generating business like to do public speaking, publish professional articles and send things to people on their mailing lists.

Others are actively involved in their community or their alumni associations. Still others have outside interests like music or wine collecting that give them the chance to interact with other professionals.

Since many organized activities slow down in the summer months, it is easy to take off from marketing in the summer. But July and August are great months for social activities.

Even if you have no interest in being on a golf course, it is much easier to find ways to connect in person in nice weather. Do lunch or coffee at an outdoor cafe. Invite some business prospects over to your house for a barbecue. Take someone fishing or hiking.

Call people you have been getting to know through your non-profit activities and get together with them so you can learn more about their companies. Find ways to be helpful. Reconnect with old college friends and law school classmates.

Certainly many people will be on vacation. But many will not, and once again, people tend to be much more open in warmer weather.

If your workload slows down in the summer and you are not big on socializing, find a marketing project that you have not had time for during the year. Write an article on some practical issue that your clients might face.

Go through your list of contacts and put them into an electronic contact manager. Learn how to use the contact manager. Design a client seminar that you might present in the fall. Contact organizations who might be looking for speakers and make a proposal.

While summer can be a good chance to build marketing or job hunting momentum, setting aside some time for vacation is also good for your career. If you are in a job hunt, you may feel guilty taking time off from the search. A better way to think about vacation time is that it is a chance to recharge your battery and do something that makes you feel good about yourself.

If you cannot afford to go anywhere, try taking day trips or spend time at the many attractions that are close to home. Work on a project that has been on the back burner for months (e.g., put all your old family photos in albums, organize your digital music collection, catch up on reconciling your old bank statements, read a good book, take a long bike ride, brush up on your piano playing and take a few lessons, do some gardening).

Having a sense of accomplishment in your personal life will help your self-esteem during your job hunt. If you do anything interesting or go anywhere interesting, you will have more to talk about when you do have interviews.

Recharging your battery and doing something for yourself will also help you project more confidence when you are out meeting with potential clients and referral sources. Having interests outside of the law will make it easier for you to connect with other professionals and could serve as the common ground for building a relationship that ultimately yields business.

Summer is no longer the sleepy season that it once was. Many lawyers who are busy during the year remain very busy throughout the traditional slow months. In my own view, this is an unfortunate byproduct of a highly competitive marketplace and at best, an unhealthy situation that can lead to burnout.

But if you are fortunate enough to have some additional time on your hands in the next two months, think of it as an opportunity to set the stage for a productive fall. Just make sure that you don't miss the best season that New England has to offer. Winter is just around the corner!

Stephen E. Seckler is managing director of the Boston office of BCG Attorney Search, a national recruiting firm. He counsels associates and partners on lateral moves and helps attorneys explore ways to increase their career satisfaction. He can be reached at seckler@bcgsearch.com.

More Career Consult Articles by Stephen E. Seckler:

Learning NOT To Communicate Like A Lawyer

Inexpensive Ways To Build Business Relationships

Finding The Right Way To Explain A Negative

Is Anyone Out There Happy?

Overcoming Resistance To Change

Learning How To Close 'The Deal'

Lateral Hiring: Making The Most Of Your Investment

10 Ways To Reciprocate In Networking

Meditation, Mediation, Marketing And Medication

Survival Tips For Your Next Lateral Move

Finding A New Home For Your Practice

Ways To Leverage Your Network

Striving For 'Professional Mediocrity'

Teaching 'Soft Skills' Can Be Hard, Worthwhile Work

Some Tips For Job Hunting In A Recession

Responding To Criticism: Survival Strategies

Questions To Ask When It's Time To Listen

Dating — And Networking — Etiquette

Managing Your Career in a Declining Market

Lawyers See Benefit in Professional Coaching

Have You Gone For Your Annual Career Checkup?

In-House Salaries Are Not Always Evenhanded

Bush v. Gore: Career Lessons From Campaign 2000

In-House Salaries: Getting a Fair Deal

Marketing As A Career Development Strategy

Unplanned Problems When Changing Jobs

Help in Finding an Entry Level Job

In Search of Work/Life Balance

On Salary Inflation: Funds vs. Fulfillment

Evaluating A Job Offer--Non-Financial Issues

Offering Some Belated New Year's Resolutions

The Delicate Matter of Reducing Your Hours

Making a Practice-Area Switch