When is the right time to search?

Hi Win-
I'm a little discouraged that there are so few jobs and so few people who know of anything. People keep telling me this is the wrong environment to be looking for a job, which isn't very helpful. A friend in the headhunter industry just told me that she thinks if I don't have a job by July 1st that I should realize I won't have one till January due to the summer, fall budget season and holidays. I felt like crying.

Any calming words of wisdom?
Carla

Hi Carla,
Your friend quoted common wisdom. In fact September rivals January as the biggest hiring month and do you really think no one is hired except then? Yes. The job market is slower now, but companies are hiring too. They don't like to advertise it when they are letting people go, but jobs still need to be filled.

On the subject of networking, it is important to remember that what you are doing now is finding out more, not finding out who has jobs. You are finding people who you like and who like you. Together you will find out all that is going on. When there are jobs, you will hear about them. What are the odds that the week you talk to someone, that they will know about an open job? Pretty small I would say. You are not talking to people to find out about jobs. You are talking to them to find out more, about their part of the industry, their company, their department, their boss. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but focusing on building those relationships is key. If people like you, they will keep their eyes out for you. People think the only way they can help you is to point you to a job. It just ain't so.
Win