Most college students treat spring break like a week’s vacation from classes, essays and homework. However, you can also treat your spring break like time to work on your big break! This means that you can work on applying for summer jobs, internships, post-graduation jobs, and other career-related opportunities. While this may be more work on top of the school work you might have, it’s worth sacrificing a few hours or even a day to developing your resume or interviewing skills.
So, what sort of things can you do to improve your chances of landing a job after college? There is a great list below and don’t worry, you’ll still have some leisure time left in your spring break!
1. Volunteer
Beef up your resume with volunteer experiences! Whether you stay on campus or help within your community, you’ll be doing some good and also bolstering your list of experiences. Plus, you might even learn some new skills — soft or career-related. Volunteer Match is the perfect place to look for opportunities.
2. Job Shadow
Do you have a career in mind? Is there anyone you know that is in this career field? If so, you should consider asking them to allow you to job shadow them. Seeing someone in action while they’re on the job is much different than reading a job description. You may not know if you truly like the career until you see it for yourself.
3. Research
Before you leave for spring break, ask your professors in your major if there are any research projects they need help with over spring break. This is an experience that will not only help build your skills, but you can also refer to them on your resume. Offering help is also a great way to get to know your professors better and build their trust.
4. Resume Rebuild
Could your resume need some work? Before applying anywhere, be sure that your resume has gone through several drafts and has been proofread. This other blog post is a great resource.
5. Study Abroad
If you have the opportunity to study abroad during spring break, do it! Immersing yourself in another culture while learning builds many of your soft skills and adds to your experiences while still contributing to your college education. You never know where you’ll land a job in the future, so get out of your comfort zone while you can. Otherwise, you may not have the opportunity again.
Come back to the Future Blog for more articles on college and career success!