The rush for interning can be so competitive in college, especially when you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life yet. Although I would advise everyone to look into the possibility of interning at companies or organizations that could potentially excite you, don’t feel the need to rush into it just because it seems like everyone else is doing it.
Your summer doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s, which is why this list of meaningful and productive ways to spend your time is so reassuring. No two people’s paths to success look the same, so don’t be afraid to explore one or more of the options below in order to figure out which one suits your needs at this point in your life. After all, college is not about having the answers, it’s about preparing for questions that haven’t even been asked yet, so never feel ashamed of a little uncertainty.
Try something new
If you’ve always wanted to learn how to use Photoshop, speak a new language, or start meditating, summer is the perfect time to explore and experience it. Although it may seem like investing time into a skill you’re unfamiliar with is useless when you’re trying to build your resume, it’s actually a pretty smart thing to do. Starting early enough on a skill could help you feel confident enough to add it to your resume or LinkedIn profile by the end of the summer, and that is always a good idea.
Challenge yourself
If the prospect of tackling an advanced class at school while taking 12 other credits terrifies you, then consider taking it at a community college over the summer instead. This is an especially good idea for your most challenging core requirements, so you can solely focus on them without the other demands that you have during the academic year. Make sure to plan ahead with your academic advisor so you can guarantee your hard work will transfer.
Volunteer
Although you may not want an internship right now, the ones that you’ll try to get later on often require specific experience, and volunteering is the perfect way to gain those skills. By spending a couple of months working on a cause that you actually believe in, you could be gaining skills with customer service, non-profit management, or even hands-on projects. All of these are good enough for a resume, and your future employers will definitely be impressed.
Minimum wage work
Just like volunteering, there is no shame in applying for a minimum wage job to fill up your time! Not only will you save the extra bucks that your bank account will need when finally land an internship (which, more often than not, involves no pay), but you’ll also be able to choose from a huge variety of options. No matter where you are planning to spend your summer, minimum wage jobs come in all shapes and sizes, which gives you a whole lot of control in order to find an opportunity that you’re actually excited about.
Travel, travel, travel!
Experience can take the form of so many attributes, but one that is often neglected is life experience. Meeting new people, exploring new places, and understanding life from a totally different perspective is both rewarding and integral to your future ability to connect with employers and co-workers. Although it’s critical to have strong skills on your resume, employers will also want to hear about what’s unwritten. Sharing the skills and experiences that you’ve had in a variety of scenarios will show what a diverse and zealous person you are in your professional life and your personal one.
[Feature Image by Pexels]