Some of us may not want to face this, and some of us may be wishing for a fast-forward button, but the reality is, summer is coming in just a short few weeks. With that being said, summer plans are starting to be made: Post-grad road trip with friends? Summer research in the lab? Internship opportunities back at home? Er… starting to work in the, real… world…? It’s all up to you!
There is kind of a lot coming at us very quickly, but it’s okay, collegiettes! Fear nothing, but embrace the unknown! Your next adventures await you, but if you’re looking to gain some experience while still having a memorable summer, then I’m here to help you.
I’ve devised a list of different ways that you can still gain valuable skill sets and increase your chances of landing a great internship/job by the fall! Summer is an enjoyable season, and regardless of how hard you’re planning to work, it needs to be somewhat fun! Hopefully some of these ideas speak to you, and hopefully they aid you in your professional journey ahead:
1. Start a blog
This is without a doubt the number one starting point for my list, but it can really be a beneficial resume-builder for the future! It doesn’t require any office space, money, or resources other than a few hours a week devoted to planning and writing out your thoughts. Today, blogs range from a wide variety of topics, and there’s always an audience ready to consume a particular field of knowledge. Travel, food, fashion, makeup, or even a blog about blogging? The potential is limitless! *Skills for the future: Ability to manage and edit your own blog, ready-to-go writing pieces, proof of extensive knowledge in a particular field, ability to plan ahead and effectively communicate.
2. Research your college’s alumni – then contact them!
You already have one thing in common, your school, so there’s where your conversation can start! Find an alum who currently works in the field you’re interested in and reach out to them. Create an email or phone correspondence and ask them genuine advice they would recommend for you to enhance your skills, and also about the path they took to get to where they are today. This can often lead to a great mentor relationship where they help you connect to places they themselves used to be affiliated with! *Skills: becoming more proactive, effectively communicating, building a professional network.
3. Volunteer
Regardless of where you are located over the summer, there are always opportunities for volunteer work in local areas. Find a program or organization that aligns with something you have a professional passion for and attend it! This is a great chance to have free access to people who might already be in that field, plus the ability to gain experiences in something you enjoy doing. Also, building an interest in volunteer work is highly valued by recruiters who look over your LinkedIn and resume. It adds that you have a call to serve others before yourself – an attribute that is always admired in the work environment. *Skills: initiative to follow your passion, building your professional network, ability to serve and put others before yourself.
4. Learn a new skill via tutorials
Sometimes when we have a long vacation break, we often don’t know what to do to make the time pass by. It’s the perfect time to take up learning a new skill on your own by way of YouTube or just visiting websites that help you in a step-by-step format! Often times it’s hard for us to devote so much attention to a skill during the school year, so take advantage of your long summer to learn something beneficial for a resume. First, take the time to search current job requirements for positions you would apply to, and then set some goals to learn a skill or two on the list that you didn’t know before. Learning how to use Adobe, Excel, coding, HTML, WordPress, Google +, and Google Analytics are just some of the skills that frequently pop up and can be learned through devoted time! *Skills: learn all the skills!
There it is, collegiettes! Enjoy the rest of this school year, and rest easy knowing that you can always build your resume – even while you’re on break!