3 ways to make the most of your summer at home
Published on 22 March 17
The summer is not just a time to have a break, catch up with friends and explore somewhere new. It’s the perfect time to develop your skills, hopefully earn some money and gain some all-important work experience.
With so many possibilities, we’ve put together three ways to make the most of your summer at home. Each of these ideas can help you to not only build-up your CV, but to help you talk up your experiences at interviews once you graduate.
Find a job
Despite the lure of sleeping-in, relaxing and watching re-runs of Come Dine With Me, getting a job over the summer is the perfect way to develop key skills and earn some money. Whether you return to a job you held before you came to University, or take up a new challenge there’s plenty of opportunities to make the most of your summer at home and gain that vital experience.
Working at your local supermarket, café, bar, restaurant or your favourite shop can strengthen your CV for the time when you come to apply for graduate jobs. You may think working in a café or shop can only add a bit of experience to your CV. However with these roles you can demonstrate your people, communication, finance and time-management skills – all key abilities employers look out for and ones which look great on your CV.
If you fancy exploring a particular sector (retail, management, leisure, education etc.) apply for a job within the field. By doing so when you come to apply for a graduate job, you can show you’ve developed experience working within that specific sector and maintain a good level of knowledge about the company/business area. As well as building up your work experience, you’ll also earn some money which could be put in your savings, used to budget whilst you’re back at University or put towards some travelling.
Spend your time volunteering
If you’re looking for something a bit different to do over the summer, why not spend your time volunteering? Your local community centre, animal shelter and park may require some extra help with a project, event or general duties. By volunteering you’ll meet lots of new people, challenge yourself and help others. Including time spent volunteering on your CV is another way to show employers you maintain those all-important key skills.
You could also volunteer in the areas you wish to work for – perhaps that’s being a stock-controller at a charity shop, being a buddy for people with learning disabilities or becoming a kitchen worker at a homeless shelter. A quick search online could help find the perfect volunteering placement for you to make a difference to others this summer.
Take on an internship
If like many others, you simply don’t have the time to undertake a work placement throughout your semesters at University, the summer is a great chance to gain invaluable, professional experience. Taking on an internship throughout your summer is also a good way of seeing if the career path you think you want to pursue is something you actually would enjoy. While you won’t get the full picture of a career in a few weeks, it can certainly help you to re-focus and explore your options if you need to.
Applying to local businesses in your area could be a good starting point and whether you pursue a two week or month long internship, or simply do a couple of days each week – it all matters. Don’t be afraid to apply to a small company in your home town or nearby city as this could be a great starting point. By taking on an internship, you’ll also be able to strengthen your skills, develop your network and hopefully be able to work on some projects which you could add to your CV.
And finally…
While it may seem like a long time away, spend some time now planning how you’re going to make the most of your summer. Every experience you can undertake this summer has great potential to help you develop your skills, add to your CV, build your confidence and essentially do more, be more. It’s important to remember you don’t necessarily need to go miles away from home to undertake a great experience – often they are right on your doorstep.
For more information and guidance on how to apply for jobs and work experience placements, visit the Careers Service.