A Go-To Guide To Growing Your Career This Summer Without An Internship

For students, summer is a time of relaxation and reflection. It’s also a great opportunity to build on their education with experiences they may not have had time for during the school year. For many, this experience is provided by a summer internship, but that’s not the only way. 

Here are a few strategies students and new grads are using to build up their resumes and create some talking points for future interviews. 

1. Volunteer

Community service is as important as ever and can easily showcase your commitment to both personal and community growth. In the midst of COVID-19, families who have never been in need are seeking support. Volunteering at your local food bank or meal delivery service can make a huge impact on your community and resume. Check out volunteer apps like Deed for easy ways to get involved. If an office or professional environment is a must, look toward non-profits, health care organizations, or political campaigns. In many instances, these volunteer opportunities provide the same experiences as paid internships. 

2. Become A Virtual Tutor

This summer, students from elementary school all the way through college are looking to have a safe and productive summer. A great way to help make this possible for them, while also being productive and safe yourself, is to apply to remote tutoring positions with organizations like Varsity Tutors or Care.com. There’s a great social impact to tutoring, too: You’ll help to prepare this generation of students for the future. 

Plus, tutoring can provide you with professional development opportunities, a flexible schedule, and a summer income.

3. Contribute To Positive Change

College students around the world are taking the summer to educate themselves on what is important to them or to learn a new perspective that they can share with their community. Creating grassroots fundraisers and book clubs are great ways for students to raise awareness and money for causes they care about. Students can also tap into larger movements across the globe through websites like DoSomething.org and Change.org and others which help to mobilize young people in the fight for equal rights. 

4. Improve Yourself With Online Courses

Summer courses are a great way to get ahead for the upcoming semester, work on what you know needs improvement, or expand your future career. Online summer courses are a great option to improve yourself while classes are not being held in person or internships have been canceled. Online learning partners like Pathstream, Emeritus, or Springboard offer certificate classes that prepare students for a career in a high-demand digital environment. This is a great opportunity to stand out while adding to your resume and skills! 

5. Start A Side Hustle And Write About It On LinkedIn

No matter what you choose, showing an eagerness to gain transferable skills and achieve your financial goals outside of traditional office work are great ways to demonstrate your drive to employers. 

If you do not have an internship this summer, then create your own career-growing, wallet-fattening opportunity! Social media makes it easy for students to leverage their networks to expand their online presence. House-sitting, lawn mowing, and selling old clothes or textbooks you no longer need are all great ways to start. Be creative! 

Documenting your progress for your network with posts and images keeps you in the front of their minds if new opportunities arise. You can also find new connections to help grow your side hustle!

Recruitment operations expert at WayUp. Gabriel Cohn used to write about music and live entertainment – now he helps college students and recent graduates get their dream jobs.