Making the most of your summer

By Jonathon Bartlett, Copywriter, MOO

Using Your Summers to Get ‘That’ Job…

If you’re reading this then chances are that you’re in the lucky position of still being in education. The rest of us are either working 9-6 shifts (Dolly Parton lied to us all), or desperately trying to find any kind of work that doesn’t involve a till in some roundabout way. Come the start of June, you’re looking ahead to 3 months of uninterrupted free time.

Here is our guide to maximising your downtime to improve your chances of getting ‘that’ job…

Find Yourself

(Anywhere hotter than home)

If you’re going traveling, dah-ling, consider signing up to social projects, humanitarian work or teaching during your trip. It’s nice to see the world and expand your horizons, and you can do that at the same time as bolstering your resume. Beyond the obvious societal gain, teaching is a great way to highlight both altruism and drive to prospective employers. The benefits of getting involved in social or humanitarian work echo those gained from teaching, though perhaps shine a brighter light on your virtuous nature! If none of these are for you, summer camps are another way you can help get some experience whilst still having fun and making a bit of money too.

While you’re adventuring, you may want to consider joining an existing travel blog, like College Tourist, or you can always your own. If you impress, there might be relationships there to build on in the future – journalistic or otherwise – and their existing audience will mean that your musings will be seen by even more eager folk. If you’re thinking of going down the solo route, make sure to plan. Think about what it is you’re going to say, why people would be interested in reading it and how you’re going to get people to see it. Being able to show evidence of your progression, and productivity, is never a bad thing.

If you’re not a budding wordsmith, photography is another medium of expression you could consider too. Of course, you can always mix the two; but being able to tell a story with pictures alone shows much needed creativity and attention to detail. Take The Outlier for example: just by scrolling through the page you find yourself imagining the smells and sounds of the places depicted. Take this a step further and get familiar with editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop when you’re back from Bolivia. There are so many sectors of business that require photo editing – it’s a great string to add to your bow.

Intern, Intern, Intern.

(Then intern some more)

You should be interning. Have I made my point yet? This tip doubles in intensity for any of you wanting to work in the ‘creative’ industry; as interning is still one of the best ways to get a fully fledged job. Either you make connections during your time there and get offered something, or you establish yourself as indispensable to the running of the business. As new sectors of the digital working world crop up, companies are becoming uncertain of investment in these less tested areas. It’s definitely a case of you proving your worth.

Working as an intern is the opportunity for you to perfect your tea making skills and learn the basics from those who’ve been involved in the industry for X years. The expertise gleaned from an internship is invaluable and accumulative. The more experience you add onto that resume, the more likely you are to reach that smiley faced man at the end of the tunnel holding a contract, a bag of money and a company parking spot.

And, perhaps more importantly, it allows you the opportunity to figure out what you do and don’t like. You’ll quickly realise the places that are (and aren't) worth your time…

Touch Base

(Not your speakers)

You should also be reaching out to people and companies that you’re interested in working with. Building relationships, even over email, could very well be the difference between you getting that interview over somebody else. A friend of mine would send monthly letters to a well-known magazine commenting on the most recent issue and asking if there was any work experience available; it took her 2 years, but she ended up getting a job as a result. Perseverance and ambition shine through the banality of the mass onslaught of generic cover letters. Perhaps you read an article online and enjoyed it. Get in contact with the writer, start a conversation by email or ask them to go for a coffee. Simple things that show you’re thinking a little outside of the monitor-shaped-box will do wonders.

Two is Better than One

(Couldn’t think of anything to put in the brackets)

Collaborating with peers on projects is a great way to get your name out there, and most importantly get some experience in whatever field you (think you’re) interested in. Whether it’s drawing up a faux/ factual business plan, starting a magazine or blog, designing a product to sell… having something tactile to show at an interview, or send by email, is a great use of your summer time. Perhaps you’re one of those crafty people, get your thinking cap on and have a go at selling some things through Etsy– maybe you could sell caps! Or if you’re a bit more C-3PO then try learning code and building some basic mobile games. Flappy bird was the virtual equivalent of selling lemonade outside your house as a kid – you just need to dream up the right idea.

If your University is lacking in societies that relate to your interest, consider starting one up. Get in contact with your mates who have a bit of drive in them and talk it through, throw some ideas around. The opportunities are endless, Find that ‘oomph’ and channel it into something productive, rather than (un)productively changing the channel…. Again!

One Last Thing

(Apply to grad jobs)

It’s an important point but one that didn’t need explanation, so the subheading tells you all you need to know there. Apply to graduate positions; the deadlines are usually way earlier than you’d expect them to be.

Hopefully this article helped you figure out how to spend some of that never-ending free time of yours. If not, that reading list isn’t going to finish itself…

Written on:

22 Jun 2015

Categories:

Best Practice