Summer is in the air – hot days, blue skies, sandy feet, and if you’re lucky a cocktail by the water.

It’s very tempting to turn on the Out Of Office automatic reply over the holiday break, but here’s why you should reconsider.

Throughout summer there’s a significant part of the workforce that is still business as usual.

Media is a 24-hour, seven day a week beast. It doesn’t sleep and it doesn’t take a break.

There will be a team at every radio station, newspaper, digital news site and TV newsroom across the country, making sure fresh content continues to roll out over the summer holidays.

This relentless churn presents plenty of opportunities for both emerging and established experts.

The slots are plentiful, the segments often longer and lighter, and the competition has thinned.

Deciding to work through the holidays, or at least be available to the media, can give experts and professionals a major head start before the working year ramps up.

For those wanting more TV experience, summer programming is a great way to soft launch on the small screen. Many go-to commentators have clocked off, and fresh faces get the call up.

This is a chance to fine-tune your message, delivery and on-screen presentation under far less pressure. The more times we tell a story, the better we get at it, the clearer the message is and the more concise the delivery.

It’s also a chance to become familiar with the technical aspects of TV, like lights, cameras and microphones, removing the stress that comes with being in the spotlight. The more familiar you get, the easier it becomes to tune out and deliver a polished performance.

You’ll have direct contact with show producers, giving you the opportunity to establish a connection and begin to develop professional relationships. Producers are far more likely to make direct contact with talent they have already worked with when breaking news needs expert analysis.

During the break there aren’t government announcements, scandals or bombshell reports to compete with because it is outside of ratings season, so experts can pitch lighter talking points that are far more likely to resonate with an audience in holiday-mode. It’s a chance to take fresh ideas and topics for a test drive.

Summer is also a great way to dip a toe into an unfamiliar world and make the move to a different medium. Experts who prefer to write opinion pieces, might try out a pitch for TV. Or those who are talk-back regulars, might put pen to paper in an opinion for a print article. Newspapers still print daily, and they’re looking for new angles constantly.

Of course, we all deserve a break, but holidaying out of season might just give your media presence the major boost it needs before the rest of the world logs back on.

And making media friends at the start of the year when no-one is available, can certainly pay dividends throughout the year.

Clichés are banned in newsrooms… but I do believe there’s one about an early bird and a worm that sums up this strategy perfectly.

By Simone Kerr, Media Engagement Manager at Media Stable.