What plans do you have for your summer break? Will you be working on your tan or enjoying the air conditioning at the mall? These activities might be fun, but they won’t help you gain career experience or make progress toward your goals.
If you’re a college student, recent graduate, or unemployed professional, this summer is the perfect time to invest in your career growth. Skip the traditional downtime and use this opportunity to gain skills, build your resume, and expand your network.
Here are six practical tips to help you kick-start your career this summer:
1. Wake Up Early To Boost Productivity
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The first rule for having a proactive summer is to get out of bed. It sounds simple, but you’ll be surprised by how many hours you waste lolling about in bed in your pajamas. Establishing a morning routine can dramatically increase productivity and help you develop habits that employers love.
Setting your alarm to maintain your regular routine will ensure you don’t waste time that could otherwise be used pursuing internships, freelance work, or networking opportunities.
Just think how much you’ll get done with a few hours’ head start on the competition!
2. Take On Strategic Volunteer Work
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Taking on volunteer work is another valuable way to spend your summer while unemployed or on a break from school. Some students may find volunteer opportunities that naturally fit with their career aspirations. For example, you may like to volunteer in an old people’s home or hospice if you want to become a nurse.
However, volunteering can also give you an opportunity to pursue a passion, like helping people with learning disabilities to read or tending to animals in a wildlife sanctuary. Studies show that no matter what volunteering position you pursue, it’ll increase your chances of finding employment by 27%. That makes it much more productive than the bulk of summer activities.
Search for volunteer work related to your industry of interest. Employers value initiative and real-world experience.
3. Get A Summer Job To Build Soft Skills
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Even a summer job that’s unrelated to your desired career can be valuable. As you look for a job, you’ll gain interview experience, communication skills, and resilience—and learn how to cope with rejection. Once you land a summer position, you’ll learn how to deal with the public, take on responsibility, and be accountable to others.
A summer job will also help build up your resume. Hiring managers prefer candidates with consistent work history, and even part-time or entry-level roles demonstrate a strong work ethic.
The fewer job gaps in your resume, the easier it’ll be for you to explain why you were unemployed in a job interview too.
4. Start Freelancing To Gain Real-World Experience
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Your summer vacation gives you the ideal opportunity to get a freelance business off the ground. Consider what skills you have and start marketing them to potential clients. Freelance writing, graphic design, social media management, translation, and coding are all talents ideally suited for freelancing.
Several websites also showcase job opportunities for freelance workers. Many feature short-term opportunities that are ideal for students or unemployed professionals looking to gain professional experience and portfolio work (and make some money) while hunting for a full-time job.
Taking on these roles will help you beef up your resume and build your professional network. Freelancing also helps you practice self-discipline, client communication, and deadline management—valuable skills in any industry.
5. Get An Internship Or Minternship
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Many companies offer internships to students during their summer vacations. These positions don’t often pay well, but they’ll give you hands-on experience and insight into your dream career.. You might become even more passionate about your career direction or decide that your chosen career path isn’t for you.
Whatever the case, you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned at school to real-world situations and make valuable connections. The company you’re interning for will probably provide you with a reference, and you might even get a job offer out of it.
If you’re not a college student, you can still get an internship! Mid-career internships—also known as “minternships”—are on the rise. They’re perfect for professionals considering a career change or exploring a new industry. So, if you’re unemployed this summer and want to explore a new direction, a minternship could be for you.
6. Build A Professional Wardrobe
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Even shopping at the mall can be productive if you put your time to good use. Rather than searching for another pair of jeans or a cute pair of sunglasses, keep your eyes peeled for a great interview-ready professional wardrobe.
Every workplace has a different dress code. When going in for job interviews, the general rule of thumb is to dress one level above the current employees. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to have a solid business-casual wardrobe ready. You never know when a job opportunity will pop up!
Invest in a few versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched for interviews, networking events, or your first day on the job.
Don’t let another summer pass you by! Put your free time to good use and get a jump-start on your career this season with these six tips.
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