Trainer's Tips 5: How to Make the Most Out of Your Summer

April 9, 2018

You hear the ‘ding’ that this round is complete, and you head to your corner to decompress, rest, and strategize for the upcoming round. 

Summer is a great time to stop, relax, and recuperate from classes, tests, and projects.  However, 3 months is a long time, and there is a lot you can do to develop yourself in other ways during this time.

INTERNSHIPS & PART TIME JOBS

Many students pursue summer internships, which provides the opportunity to learn and develop soft skills, practically apply what you are learning in the classroom, and to experience a preview of what life will be like after college.  This will allow you to reaffirm what you want to do, or to realize that you may not like doing it as much as learning about it.

Most students who will have internships for summer 2015 have already secured one; and many have already started working.  It may be difficult to find an internship this late, but not impossible.

Here are a few resources to help you with your search:

If you cannot find an internship, part-time jobs are a great way to get experience, even if they are not in a related field.  You would be surprised what transferrable skills you can learn, and I am happy to help explain those skills on your resume.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Attending conferences, workshops, and networking events is a great way to expand your knowledge and network. 

Opportunities like this: http://www.govconnectscyber.com/internship-opportunities/, or this http://www.ftmeademwr.com/events/jobFair.php, or the MITRE Fort Meade job fair on June 4th (email me or see the LinkedIn group for details) allow you to meet potential mentors or future employers and colleagues.

Make sure when attending these types of events you are dressed professionally and act appropriately and professionally as well.

Also, if you are looking for a good book to read from on the beach or by the pool, I have a few suggestions:

  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
  • Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace by Daniel Goleman
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
  • Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected by: Devora Zack
  • The Art of Conversation: A Guided Tour of a Neglected Pleasure by Catherine Blyth
  • Periodicals or magazines from your particular area of interest or major

FURTHER YOUR SKILLS

A runner who doesn’t train for several months will lose some stamina, the same goes for technical skills.  This can be avoided by practicing from home.  www.code.org is a great website to learn new programming languages. Scratch https://scratch.mit.edu/ is another good one.  Work on projects at home to practice and hone your skills.  Reflect on your notes and textbook from the previous semester.

VOLUNTEER

“Volunteers have a 27 percent higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers,” according to the Corporation for National and Community Service1.  Obviously, correlation does not equate to causation, but better to have something that may be helpful on your résumé, especially if it only costs you a day or two of your time. Plus, volunteering will give you greater ties to the community, will help develop social and soft skills, and gives you a pretty good feeling when helping others. http://volunteermatch.org/ is one website that can help connect you to volunteer opportunities in your area, but there are many other websites and organizations that can do so as well.

CAREER SERVICES

If you are looking for me, you can find me in your corner. If you need any assistance locating opportunities or resources, please make an appointment with me by emailing careers@captechu.edu. I can meet in-person, over the phone, or online through Google Hangout or Skype.

I am available most days (M-Th) from 10am-6pm.  However, there are a few days I will not be on campus, so it is important you make an appointment so I can guarantee that I will be available.

1 http://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/research-and-reports/volunteering-pathway-employment-report

By Sarah Alspaw, Assistant Director of Career Services