Another summer has trickled by and we gear up for another busy September. Whether you have children who live by the school calendar or not, the fall always brings with it a sense of recommitment. Vacation’s over, time to pack away your open-toed sandals, back to business. Traffic picks up, the office is no longer desolate at 2 p.m. on Fridays, and for at least the first couple of weeks of school, you’ll see less kids playing outside in the afternoon since they’ve got homework to contend with.

So how do you feel about this? Are you sad to see summer go? Are you eager to put the lazy days behind you and get back to normal routines? Are you reminded that it’s not too late to make some changes that could impact your career before 2009 rolls around (hey, it’s right around the corner)?

If you’re feeling the latter, here are some ways to get the ball rolling:

- Consider taking a course or an educational program. If a full-fledged degree is too much of a commitment, consider these 12 Career Education Perks, one of which is a shorter completion time. No matter what you decide, any additional skills you can develop, the better off you’ll be.

- Revamp your resume. Especially if you’ve been at the same job for quite some time, you probably have a lot of updating to do. Make it a habit to retool your rez as summer draws to a close. You never know when you’ll need it on short notice, such as when an opportunity comes a knockin’.

- Stop dreaming about your dream career, and start really looking into it. Start with these 5 Career Factors to Consider.

Sure, a couple of more weekends vegging by the pool would be great, but I’ve come to terms with saying goodbye to summer. I may keep wearing the sandals for just a bit longer, though.