Summer Break?

When it comes to the job market, all rules as we have known them before are certainly changed. Exactly when we will return to business as usual is one of the big mysteries at present. One thing I know for sure is that, when hiring begins to take place, companies will be even more particular than in the past. Gaps in resumes may not have the impact they once did but I am fairly positive that if you put two resumes on a hiring manager's desk, they will select the candidate who weathered the storm by taking a job, any job, during this awful slump over the candidate who simply took the summer off while waiting for better jobs to develop. Some people will justify the break with thoughts such as it is cheaper to not take a low paying job than pay for childcare or that taking a lower level job will hurt future searches, etc. These are valid points but I stand by my opinion that you need to be on the playing field to move up when things begin to recover.