This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.
Summer holds nostalgia of beach parties, cruises, and pretty much any other activity near the water or in the sun. But summer is also the perfect time to stay productive and prepare yourself for any opportunities summer or the following fall may bring with it. Here are 7 tips for staying productive this summer.
1. Create your own business cards.
- It may seem outdated to carry business cards, but marketing yourself is a concept that will never go out of style. Create personalized business cards and carry them with you whenever you go out. I find them especially handy when I go to lunch dates or business parties with my parents. Looking good, acting professional and networking yourself could land you an awesome job. You never know who you’re going to meet.
2. Give your resume and cover letter a facelift.
- Employers love to see personalized resumes and cover letters. Using programs such as InDesign or Photoshop to revamp your resumes and cover letters are great when adding some color and personalized headlines. Try creating a logo for yourself. Employers will be impressed.
3. Pick up a job for some extra $.
- You may not have landed your dream summer job, but getting some extra cash from babysitting or walking your neighbors dogs will give you an incentive to save up…I’m thinking for that festival coming up this summer?
4. Write down your goals for the following school year.
- Figure out what it is that you want to accomplish, and start researching companies you would want to work for when you graduate or when you return to school in the fall. By reaching out early, your ideal employer will learn your name early and remember your ambition. By writing out your other goals for school, you can plan what clubs you want to look into to help better yourself.
5. Take an interesting class or plan a trip.
- This is always good for conversations with new friends or potential employers. Lets face it, people like to be around interesting people. You can learn to golf, or play tennis, take an aerial silks class, or plan a trip with friends to go hiking in the Carolinas.
6. Apply for scholarships.
- Your school, as well as businesses around it, offers tons of scholarships for students; all you have to do is a little research. See what your college offers, email your advisors; sometimes getting a scholarship is as easy as writing an essay about why you love your campus. See what kinds of scholarships your college is offering! http://finaid.ucf.edu/scholarships/
7. READ
- It is true: The more you read, the smarter you will become, and consequently, the way you sound when you speak will be more intelligent. Continue reading new books and learning about things that interest you. Invest in your mind.