Summer internships are the most competitive one’s to score, so if you’re one of those college students that didn’t make the final cut, don’t feel bad. Even though you may feel like you’re summer is now at risk as being a complete bust, it’s not. There are many other alternatives to summer internships that can serve as enriching and fulfilling experiences for your resume.
One option to consider is studying abroad. Studying abroad as a college student is the best time to explore another country and learn new things. You can use this experience to your advantage on your resume. For example, if you learned a new language or took a job there, you can work it into your resume. Studying abroad is a valuable experience and summer is a great time to go.
Now it’s possible that you were looking to make some money over the summer rather than spend it abroad, and you thought your internship was the only way. However, there are still other job opportunities out there. Look for jobs as a camp counselor, lifeguard, restaurant server or cashier. Don’t take these jobs for granted, as they offer skills that can easily be transferred over to your dream job like communication and interpersonal skills. Having a job over the summer, even if it is not an internship, will still look good on your resume because it shows you did something productive.
If you want to get experience related to your field while working one of the aforementioned jobs, summer is the perfect time to volunteer. Volunteering is a good way to showcase your leadership and teamwork skills. Look for organizations that match your personal and career interests. You can make a difference in your community this summer.
Whatever you do this summer, it’s important to network both in-person and online. Look for summer networking events in your local area pertaining to your career. Start making your presence on Twitter and LinkedIn more visible by keeping in touch with professionals and professors in your field. Make sure to let them know that you’re looking for a job and they may know of someone who can help you.
In short, don’t write off your summer because you didn’t land your internship of choice. The summer is what you make of it and as you can see there are many other exciting and productive ways to help your career.
How would you spend your summer if you couldn’t land a summer internship? Comment below!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by a loves dc
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