5 Ways To Help Build Your Resume This Summer
Start writing a post
Student Life

5 Ways To Help Build Your Resume This Summer

Because how else would a college student spend their time?

305
5 Ways To Help Build Your Resume This Summer
www.thestaffingstream.com

It is finally the month of June and everyone can now say that, for college students at least, summer vacation has begun. But as college students, we rarely use our summer breaks to relax at home like we did in elementary, middle and high school, With only about four short years until we leave college and enter "the real world," the few breaks that we have from school need to be used wisely. Although I have my own personal reservations about resumes, I realize that any summer vacation during your college career is an amazing opportunity to build up your resume. Therefore, I came up with five ways that college students can use this summer break to build up their resume, gain experiences and become a better candidate for either graduate schools or the workforce:

1. Make that money, honey

This is a lot easier said that done, but once you find a job you can gain work experience and build your time management skills, especially if you are also taking summer classes. Other than being able to put your job down as work experience on your resume the best thing about having a job is that it allows you to save up a little bit of money. Having a bit of money can never be a bad thing.

There are also a lot of alternatives to getting a traditional job. If you are great at making crafts, start an Etsy store. You can become a freelance photographer, writer or editor. If you search the Internet I am sure there are hundreds of ways to make an honest buck.

2. Do some volunteer work

Although volunteer work is unpaid, you still get to benefit from gaining work experience and you can add your volunteer work to your resume. I actually prefer volunteer work to a paid job because I am doing the work I do because I like the cause. There are a lot of ways to go about doing volunteer work. If there is a specific field you want to go into after college such as law or marine biology and you cannot get an internship in that specific field, then you can find an individual or an agency and ask to work as a volunteer for the summer. You can also do a lot of volunteer work outside of your preferred field. When it comes to volunteer work, the possibilities are basically endless.

3. Snag that internship

Internships are a tricky beast. Everyone seems to have an internship but when you want to find one there seems to never be enough. Any useful internship you can attain, whether it be paid or unpaid, will be beneficial especially if it is in the field you want to go into. By "useful" internships I am referring to an internship where you do more than just making copies and getting coffee for everyone. I am talking about an internship where you are actually shadowing someone and learning about the job they do. I am talking about internships where you actually learn from your experiences there instead of just spending eight hours sitting in a corner. There are a bunch of different ways to find internships. You can ask professors about internship opportunities, search online or even just look up while walking around on campus. I know that at least at City College, internships and other opportunities are sometimes posted on bulletin boards and walls.

4. Take a summer class

Although taking a summer class is not necessarily something you can add to your resume but it is helpful in other ways. If you take a summer class you may be able to graduate earlier than originally expected. Also, by taking a summer class you may be able to lighten the course load for the fall, winter and spring semesters and can use this extra time to work or find an internship. Taking a summer class really just boils down to efficiently using your time in college and may be a great option for some while being a terrible idea for others. Choose wisely and don't take meaningless classes.

5. Go on vacation

You may be looking at No. 5 and thinking that either I got lazy or I really couldn't think of five things or whatever the case may be. But this item actually has a purpose in my mind. Like I said before, I am not crazy about resumes and I noticed that at some point in everyone's college career, they go resume-crazy. For some reason, they feel like they haven't done enough in their life and that they must do everything under the sun in order to build their resume and be a good candidate for jobs. This pushes people to waste their time doing things they otherwise wouldn't care about for the sake of a piece of paper. Not only is this unfair for yourself but it is actually unfair to whoever you are working, volunteering or interning for because they want students who actually care. So if you have some time this summer go on vacation, have some fun and do not think about your resume at all because at the end of the day, it is just a piece of paper and vacation time is good for your mental sanity. Take a "staycation" if that is what you prefer because honestly, sometimes a day or two in bed with a good book, a great show and some ice cream is better than making the effort to travel (at least for me that is).

Go forth and build those resumes.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70718
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132341
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments