But if you wait just a few months a different job-hiring season (for long-term jobs) is just around the corner. A little known fact is that spring is when many industries do their annual hiring. Not only is spring the start of the new calendar year, but for many industries that’s when their fiscal year winds down (typically ending some time in June). Companies in these industries must have their budgets and staff recommendations in place before the start of the new fiscal year. This bodes well for you, if you happen to be looking for a job in the spring, or more likely, if you are about to graduate with a brand spanking new college degree.

So what are some of the jobs being offer in spring? Of course the job pool changes every year, depending on the economy, but regardless the following four industries have been steadily fueling the job market for at least the last five years (some even longer).

Education

In all levels of education, from pre-school through college, schools start hiring their teachers in the spring for the following school year (even in year-round schools). The funds to support these new hires come out of the new fiscal year budget, so a teacher pretty much has job security for at least the first school year.

And even though you need a teaching degree to teach elementary and middle school, degreed people in specific areas of study (i.e., math, music, journalism, business, computer science, etc.) are allowed to teach at higher levels such as high school, college, and community education (depending on the school’s and state’s instructor requirements). So even if you DON’T have an education degree there are many other opportunities for you to teach your specific skill.

The downside of teaching, however, is that given the unstable economy many colleges and school districts hire their teachers on a year-to-year contract. So even though you may have a job this year, there’s no guarantee there’ll be money in the budget to keep you employed next year.

Summer Internships

Whether you’re a new graduate yet to find a permanent job or you’re still a student in school, summer is a great time to earn some extra cash through internships. Just about every summer internship starts its staffing process in the spring. For example, the application deadline for the first round of summer internships offered by the placement agency SummerInterships.com is March 11. However, there are additional hiring rounds throughout the spring semester as internships roll in.

The plus side of internships is that often they lead to permanent jobs that you wouldn’t have known about had you not interned in the first place. At the very least an internship gives you real life job experience in an industry in which you one day hope to launch a career. (As a rule, however, steer clear of unpaid internships, if possible. Practical experience is one thing, but you still have to eat and pay rent.)

Alternative Energy

One of the newer (and greener) jobs to come on the scene in the last few years is a solar power engineer and installer. This person does everything from mounting solar panels on residential homes and businesses to designing entire solar energy systems in communities. Even though the sun is the energy source, solar power systems are utilized all over the country (not just in warm climates), and thus solar installers are needed everywhere.

Typically people start thinking about converting to solar energy when the sun reappears after a cold and expensive winter. And as such solar power companies start looking for installers just about the time everyone comes back from spring break. Even though alternative energy companies hire year-round, March seems to be the big hiring season for solar power engineers and installers, as shown on job the placement website Jobsinsolarpower.com. Plus, alternative energy companies hire a wide range of expertise; from installation assistants (trainees) to degreed environmental engineers.

Parks and Theme Parks

Ever dream of running the Teacups ride at Disneyland or helping with tours at Zion National Park? Both are possible on a full or part time basis, and both offer legitimate (and dare I say, fun) careers. Parks and theme parks do big business in summer, so they aggressively staff up in the spring. This gives parks and theme parks time to train new staff, especially if duties involve learning songs and dances, memorizing tour speeches, or learning how to operate technical equipment. Everything from part time summer work to full time career management positions are available. For example, Disneyland Resort offers summer employment programs for students and college students, or full time career opportunities in both business and entertainment.

So if you’re looking for a new job, or just getting your summer employment plans in order, spring is one of the best times of the year to be looking for work. And for you college students getting ready to graduate after spring semester, you might want to use your spring break as an opportunity to get a jump on the job market. Nothing is sweeter than knowing you have a great job waiting for you right after you collect your diploma and throw that grad cap in the air.

I know you’re probably still in classes and thinking about your career is the last thing on your mind. But it helps to have someone like Kathryn Ullrich on your side. She is an author, executive search consultant and associate director of Alumni Career Services at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Let her do the work for you.

Ullrich recently wrote “Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success.” She notes there are 10 common mistakes job hunters make. And there are ways to avoid these problems during your job hunt. Even if you’re not ready to jump into the market, there are some good ideas here to keep in mind over the months to come.

Why should you care? Well, the market is tight. According to job-placement firm Manpower, five of six Americans (that’s a whopping 84 percent) said they want to look for a new job this year. That is why it is key to find a way to stand out – and for the right reasons.

Here are some quick hits of that top 10 Common Mistakes Ullrich has…See if you have done any of them and think about the corrections. I know I’ve done most of them…How about you?
1. Playing the generalist card: Now more than ever, companies look for specialists, not generalists.  Develop a personal brand, distinguish your skills and strengths, and design your job search around specific industries and functions.

2. Bloated resumes: Employers don’t read resumes — they scan them in mere seconds. Put your resume on a word diet and eliminate the bloat.  Odds are you can lose up to a third of the words without compromising the content.

3. Missing your target: Most job seekers are “me-centric.”  Instead, focus on your target. Know the job you’re seeking, what companies are looking for, and how you can best present your experience.

4. Hibernating online: Most successful job searches are the result of networking, not online job postings. Resist spending more time in front of your computer than you do in front of human beings.

5. Misguided networking efforts: The first commandment for networkers: Thou shalt not ask for a job while networking. Why? Because the sole purpose of networking is to seek advice and information.

6. Preparing too little — or not at all — for interviews: Before every interview, do your homework on the company, from knowing the executive team to learning about key industry issues, trends, and competitors.

7. Missed opportunities on social media: The vast majority of employers and recruiters look at your profile online: Linked In, Facebook, and other social-media Web sites. Have your online presence tell a story and tout your personal brand.

8. Weak communication skills: Communication skills can make or break a job search. Many job seekers dull conversations by sharing too many details. Others, on the flip side, share too little information — glossing over their successes or sharing what “we” did without spotlighting their personal contribution.

9. Failing to put in the hours: Being a serious, successful job seeker is a full-time position.  Still, many people report spending “under ten hours” per week on their search. Don’t be one of them.

10. Going it alone: Flying solo, particularly in today’s turbulence, is tough. Form a job search team that meets or talks on a weekly basis.  Together, you can add structure, support, and a sense of accountability to your searches.

Interesting stuff, no? I’m thinking she’s on the right track.

It takes some savvy, some smarts and some plain-old dumb luck to be a good detective. (You remember Scooby Doo, don’t you?) In just one day, I stumbled upon a multitude of job-related resources, and I’m hoping to parlay some of it into higher wages for me – and, hopefully through example, for you as well Dear Reader.

The day started with my local news station. There was a broadcast about the nation’s jobless rate. It talked about how the unemployment rates is steadily declining, but that it has to drop just a little bit more to get consumer confidence and the stock market to respond. Okay.

Then I picked up my neighborhood newspaper. Local newspapers have job ads, but more and more reporters are delving into stories about regional job growth. Nationally, papers and magazines are picking up more on what industries are all about job creation…and those are clues that the economy is in a turnaround. This day, The Detroit Free Press (my big local paper) announced a huge series of articles about how to find a job. The first article talked about what areas are growing – and for my region, the big growth areas are automotive, batteries and healthcare. Good to know.

In the afternoon, I ran into the area Tae Kwon Do academy, which was having an open house. The owner expanded to nearly double the size, and I wanted a look at the place. I’m hoping my 5-year-old son could take classes there. While on the scene, I started chatting up another parent, who told me his Web site was looking terrible and wondering if he should upgrade it.

Next, I was surfing the television for something – anything! – to watch. I was frustrated with my children for refusing for the 413,245 time to go to bed…so I needed some veg time to get back on track. I stumbled upon a television show on the ABC News channel. The host of “The Job Club” focused on how to build your small business and took viewer questions. Those questions ranged from how to publish a book (read: royalties!), how to find a seamstress to produce a pajama line (read: manufacturing bucks!). I was fascinated…and starting to see a pattern emerge.

Every place I looked or visited or watched had a job lead in it. The radio story tells me that retail is going to be hiring soon – consumer confiding rising means more people will be shopping. So I could apply for something at my local Target or similar store. The newspaper ad reminds me that automotive hiring is picking up, so maybe my family’s background in the auto industry could lead me to a company that needs some help; I could look on LinkedIn to find a connection. The new Academy? Well, with all that new space, it might need more staff or even a cleaning woman! (Look, if I’m looking for work, I’m not above doing what it takes to make ends meet.) Finally, that ABC News broadcast has me thinking – again – about writing my Great American Novel.

What is happening around you today? Do you see signs of improvement that you could capitalize on? Do you see people who need help making their business grow? Are you hearing advice that could change the course of your life? It just takes some open eyes to see the potential around you. Let me know what you find!