5 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Internship-less Summer

Are you working away, applying to hundreds of internships this summer, and nothing is biting? If your hopes for an internship to boost your career are lower and lower after every rejection, remember that internships are not the only method of furthering your career. As we all know, a degree is just not enough these days. Experience is what enables you to obtain a job post-grad. However, there are other ways to ensure a fulfilling summer without thinking your life is over. 

Take summer courses

There’s no way to have a barren summer when you can get a boost academically by taking summer classes. While I can’t speak for all schools, I know that UCF offers a plethora of summer courses for all majors. Taking a few summer courses can put you ahead of the game and cause less stress in the future when registering for fall and spring courses, as those tend to fill up much faster. Furthermore, you might also be able to get ahead of your graduation date. Last summer, I took four summer classes (which I can admit is a bit extreme), and I am now graduating two semesters early. Taking at least one or two courses now might help ease the burden on your senior year, and you can focus on other aspects vital to your career rather than school.

part-time job/side hustle

If a professional, fancy internship is out of your reach, part-time jobs and side hustles are a great way to keep the bills paid while searching for more. Don’t knock down a simple minimum wage job by thinking it’s not “good enough.” You can still add experience to your resume by having one of these jobs. A lot of the work you may do in retail, office jobs, or even fast food can be transferred to a professional experience; knowing how to deal with customer service is still highly coveted. Any experience will be a good experience, and on top of that, you will still have a check in your bank account. 

online certificates

Participating in online certificates is a great way to stay productive over the summer and enhance your resume. On the Internet, there are a plethora of certificates on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX. My favorite is the LinkedIn Learning certificates, as not only are they free, but they will automatically show up on your LinkedIn profile. Even if you can’t take summer courses, you can show continuous learning to future employers. The cherry on top is that you actively sought out these certifications, revealing your passion for your education and career. 

volunteer work

If you feel like you have nothing to do this summer, give back to your community and engage in volunteer work. The best thing about volunteer work is that you can work as much as you like. If you can only volunteer two to three hours a week, so be it! If you can provide 10 to 15 hours, that’s great, too! Volunteering is an underrated resume booster that shows soft skills like taking initiative. You can also volunteer in an aspect related to your desired career path. For example, if you want to work in medicine in the future, you can volunteer at a blood bank. If you want to work in education, volunteer as a free tutor. Since volunteering is free, future employers looking at your resume can see that you are passionate about your desired career, and you stick out as a candidate. 

Make the most out of your summer

If you feel overwhelmed with all the internships, classes, experience, clubs, etc, there is no problem with taking the summer off. In fact, I encourage it. When you’re in school from K-12, you have summer break every year. We still have summer break in college, but there are underlying expectations of doing something “useful” with that summer. In my opinion, go out and have fun! There are only so many summer vacations left. Once you enter the workforce, there will be no such thing as a summer break. You will have to seek time off to take a break. Use the two to three summer breaks you have to the best of your ability. Travel, pick up a hobby, go see your friends and family.

At the end of the day, work experience and money will come and go, but as a young college student, don’t waste your summers stressing over your future; save that for the fall semester. Have fun now, who knows when a time like this will ever come again! 

So, no, your life will not be over if you don’t have a summer internship. There are many options for you to fill your time this summer. Professional experience is not the only experience that matters. Every day you live can be considered an experience that allows you to further your career and life. So don’t stress about internships and live your life!

• career
• college
• internship
• jobs
• school
• summer
• UCF
• volunteering