Come September

I was afraid it wouldn't happen this year.

Every Texas summer is a scorcher, by the standards of someone who grew up in the upper Midwest. But during all of my years in Texas, a slight, but noticeable cooling trend has been ushered in shortly after the Labor Day holiday.

Mercifully, it did cool down in Dallas/Fort Worth right on schedule, even with the three months of triple-digit temperatures we've endured.

I also think I see a slight, but noticeable upward trend in the number of open positions of the kind I'm looking for -- advertising copywriters, editors, public relations writers and the like.

I know, it goes against the flat, dismal government job statistics that have Wall Street in a tizzy.

But it makes sense, in my world. Summers were always times to catch your breath, for a moment at least, in the newspaper business. And you needed to take that break when you could, because things always sped up in a big, fat hurry come September.

So even if the economy is wretched, it's still back-to-school time, back-to-serious-business time. And that's why I think I'm seeing more appropriate jobs to apply for, even if some of them are freelance or temporary assignments. I'm open to those as well as "real" work. I found that my last freelance assignment (which was also my first) gave me a certain sense of validation, and satisfaction in flexing my professional chops.

In addition to finding more job openings than usual this week, I also attended a weekly networking event called "Social Media Lab."

Held at a North Richland Hills coffeeshop called "Roots," this group is an ongoing, informal and hands-on-the-laptop discussion on honing your social media skills not only for the job search, but for on-the-job purposes as well. 

It's a small, friendly gathering run by volunteer coaches who ask only that attendees pay it forward by sharing what they've learned with others. Oh, and one more thing...if you go, make sure you thank the folks at Roots by purchasing a latte and something tempting from the bakery case. Go ahead, "Like" them on Facebook. They are awesome to host this event each week.

I'll tell you more about Social Media Lab in a future post. Meanwhile, if you're interested, it is held every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at Roots coffeehouse on Hwy. 26 in North Richland Hills, just east of NRH2O. Bring a laptop if you have one, but no worries if you don't. Just sit next to someone who has one and look on. It's part of the deal.