It’s the middle of summer! Time to sip lemonade, slather on the SPF and read gossip magazines for hours, right?

Not if you’ve just graduated from college and you’re eager to find a full-time job before the fall. If you’re looking for your first job this summer, here are a few ideas to help you snap up job offers while everyone else is slacking:

1. Network al fresco. People often have less on their plates in the summer months and are more willing to take time for a networking lunch, informational interview or some casual bonding with a young job seeker like you. Who could turn down an offer to meet for lunch at a sunny outdoor café or an after-work drink at a pleasantly breezy rooftop bar? Fill your summer schedule with networking meetings with friends, friends-of-friends and friends-of-friends-of-friends, and ask for their assistance with your job hunt.

2. Become an active alum. Your college alumni network is one of your best networking opportunities as a young person. Get involved immediately by attending summer social events and emailing people in your school’s alumni database or on Facebook who work in the field you want to pursue. Don’t wait until the fall, when next year’s seniors will start their alumni outreach.

3. Visit (or revisit) Career Services. College career services offices have great (and usually free) resources — exclusive job databases, resume critiquing, mock interviewing, networking connections, one-on-one career counseling, etc. The problem is that students often don’t take advantage. Your college career service office is absolutely available to you after you’ve graduated, and you may just find the career counselors have more time on their hands since no students are on campus…

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