Let’s face it, life doesn’t always go as planned. Not getting that dream job or internship can feel like the end of the world. But don’t be discouraged and spend the next three months moping; there are plenty of other productive ways to utilize your time. With these ideas, you’ll still be able to gain experience essential to success in your future career, make the best of your summer, and have a blast doing it.
1. Make a bucket list.
Look around your town. Think of everything you have ever wanted to do but haven’t, whether because you have been too scared to, or just haven’t had the chance. Add all of these things to a list, and make a pact to tackle every single one before school starts in the fall. You most definitely will never be bored. If you need some inspiration, there are plenty of online bucket lists you can pull ideas from.
2. Volunteer.
Giving back to the community can be incredibly rewarding, for both the giver and the receiver. Volunteer to serve at a local soup kitchen; walk the puppies at the ASPCA. Even just helping your neighbor to plant flowers and pull weeds is wonderful. Every good deed makes a difference, you'll feel great about the work you are doing, and you'll end the summer with a newfound sense of accomplishment and pride.
3. Spend time with your mom (or dad, or sister, or brother, or grandmother, or grandfather).
Without a full-time internship, you have more time for your family. Redecorate the living room with your mom. Let your dad take you golfing. Help your grandmother organize her basement. Go watch your little brother’s baseball game. Your family loves you, and this summer is the perfect opportunity to reciprocate that love and show them how much you enjoy being with them.
4. Open an Etsy store.
Have you always loved drawing, jewelry making, or maybe knitting or sewing? Put your artistic abilities to work and open your own little online store. It’ll teach you great business and marketing skills, give you something to do, and add a little cash to your wallet. And it looks great on your résumé, too.
5. Work on your professional social media.
My career class professor could not stress enough the importance of a strong professional social media presence. Today more than ever, social media can make or break a job opportunity. If you don’t already have one, make a LinkedIn account and add all of your friends and past employers. Create and tweet intellectually on a professional Twitter (stay away from retweeting Common White Girl accounts). Clean up your Facebook to ensure a potential employer isn't able to see anything that could negatively influence his/her decision to hire you.
6. Find other ways to gain experience in your field of interest.
If you’re studying environmental science, contact your local environmental institute or program to see if you could shadow someone for a day. If you’re a communication student interested in radio, visit your local radio station and see if there is any way you could get involved at the studio, even just as a volunteer. If your focus is fashion, talk to the owner of a boutique and see if you could do something in the store to gain fashion experience, even if it’s just dressing mannequins or running its social media accounts. The community wants to help young people succeed, and the opportunities are out there, even though they might take some hard work to find.
7. Get involved in things that intrigue you.
Start a blog. Take a yoga class or attend a self-defense workshop. Film makeup tutorials or perform cover songs and post them on YouTube. Go on hikes. Grab your friends and have a photo shoot. Teach yourself how to play the piano or the guitar. Learn how to make your grandmother’s famous apple turnovers. Pursue a hobby that you’ve always wanted to try but just haven’t found the time for; there’s no better time than today. You might even end up discovering a new passion or talent that could pave the way to a future career you never even imagined possible.
This summer is a chance to help not only yourself, but others as well. Make the most of every second. Live in the here and the now, and don’t waste time worrying about things you can’t change. This is your summer. Make it great.
