College can be a little dreadful when it comes to trying to balance school, social events and possibly a work schedule. Despite always feeling busy, many students dread looking at their resumes because they feel that they don’t stand out from the sea of other individuals trying to apply for the same job.
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Here are four simple ways that you can have fun and get some awesome points to talk about during an interview:
1. Find an internship
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As tight as your schedule may be, try finding an internship. Many people mistake internships for busy-work, like getting coffee or filing papers. Be open-minded in your search for an internship and don’t be afraid to venture out and get an internship in a different state. Many times, these internships pay for your living and/or give you a monthly allowance.
If living on your own in a foreign place doesn’t sound appealing to you, then try looking for paid internships in your community. It’s a bit of a search, but a lot of internships come with perks. Maybe you can’t find an internship that is paid, but gives you lunch every day, or allows you to come to their events for free. Not to mention that having an internship gives you more people who can write a recommendation letter for you.
2. Become a brand ambassador
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A great way to both aid in a cause and add marketing and company experience to your resume is to become an ambassador for companies. You’ll learn how to develop those awesome social media skills of yours, because let’s face it – social media is everything nowadays. You can also build contacts with other people around the world that are also ambassadors.
Most of the time ambassadorships come with perks like getting commission towards the merchandise you’re selling, testing new products, and potentially get a job within that company by being a shining ambassador.
Some companies that hire ambassadors include: Pura Vida Bracelets, Sand Cloud, The Elephant Pants and many others.
3. Become a freelancer at what you’re good at
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Everyone has a hobby, no matter how insignificant that hobby may seem. Use what you love to do as an advantage to make some extra cash in college. Do you love to bake? Make cookies or offer to bake for special events for a small fee. Are you a programmer or talented with anything techy? A bunch of small companies would love someone to make them an app or website. Do you take great pictures? Make an e-portfolio and take graduation pictures or pictures for events. Do you like to write? There are a bunch of websites you can apply to and make some extra cash while working at home.
Adding this to your resume not only shows how much of a go-getter and entrepreneur you are; it also shows companies that you’re passionate about something and you have skills that could potentially add a great deal to what they do as a company.
4. Get free stuff from websites like Influenster
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This is one of my personal favorites and one of the easiest ones. There are companies out there who are looking for people to try products completely for free. You don’t have to pay a single penny to join such websites like Influenster and PinchMe. The only thing these companies ask is to spread the word to family and friends through social media about your goodies, and you’ll get more free stuff. You can add this to your resume and not only will it start a great conversation, but it will also demonstrate that you have great people skills based on your social media engagement.
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College is stressful, but you can do these four side projects to keep yourself focused and motivated. Remember that companies aren’t just interested in how many jobs you have had or how good your grades are. They are also interested in who you are as a person, and doing activities like these shows how diverse you can be compared to everyone else. Good luck Collegiettes and have fun!