Winter break is usually the time to take a breather; Fall semester finals are over, you may work a bit and take a class or two, but chances are you are ready to take a moment to rest and spend time seeing family and friends. At the same time, winter break is a good time to do things you may have not had time to do at school, especially things pertaining to your future career. Although it may sound daunting, especially after post-finals week, taking small steps to advance your professional self, academia, and career will make lasting impacts down the line. Here are a few different things to try doing this winter break that will help you get ahead with your future career:
- Update That Resumé!
A resumé is crucial for any profession, no matter where you are in your career. If you have not updated your resumé for at least 6 months, or since before a significant achievement or opportunity you took, update your resumé with whatever you did between now and the last time you updated it. If you want to take it a step further, reach out to a knowledgeable source to review your resumé, such as an employer or through your school, to really fine-tune your resumé to make it as professional and relevant as possible.
- If You Already Haven’t, Make and Build a LinkedIn profile.
Having a LinkedIn is important when it comes to networking and finding future internships and job opportunities. Although some majors are pushed to use LinkedIn more than others, LinkedIn is a great way to promote who you are as a student and a professional, no matter what you are pursuing. Making an account takes a minute or two, and adding parts like a biography, schools you’ve attended, and past jobs, also do not take long. From there, you can not only find and apply to different internships and jobs, but also network with others, and even find ideas of relevant courses or certifications to pursue to further your career, and even find events hosted in your area.
- Apply Apply Apply!
This one can be more time-consuming, but winter break is a good time to look into future opportunities, such as internships or jobs. Depending on what you study there may not be too many options, but it is always good to apply to internships or jobs and see what you may get out of it. Even if you don’t hear back, familiarizing yourself with employment-based platforms like Indeed and Handshake will facilitate future applications you may want to apply to. Depending on scheduling, you may be able to apply to and land an internship or job in the springtime, if not earlier.
- Go on a Side Quest!
Maybe you already have updated your resumé and LinkedIn and secured an internship along the way. That does not mean there is nothing that you can do, as there are career-building blocks you can pursue that I call “side quests”. This can be anything that can push your career forward, such as getting a certification or license from a learning program, researching companies you are interested in working for, taking on a personal academic-based project, studying abroad, and way more. Although on a smaller scale, doing one of these in your free time is beneficial and could be a good topic of discussion during a potential interview down the road; Not many students can say they did a research project voluntarily during winter break, and most employers will be pleasantly surprised to hear that you did more than catch up on Z’s all winter.
Of course, be sure to use this winter break as a time to relax and spend time with family and friends, but on the off chance that you are watching Netflix on your laptop, open a separate window to revise your resume or take that class module will make all the difference in the future.