Summer break has arrived and your student may be interning, taking class, traveling, or working a summer job. Even though the summer can be filled with downtime, there are a number of things your student can do to plan for the next academic year and get ahead!
Resume Updates
Even if your student is currently interning or working, it is never too soon to be thinking about the next job or internship! Encourage your student to spend some time updating his or her resume this summer and have at least one other person edit the document for content and grammatical errors. Your student can schedule an appointment to meet with University Career Services over the summer to discuss his or her resume with a Career Counselor, or visit the Career Services website for specific resume building tools.
Tip: If your student is preparing for a job search next year, encourage him or her to create a master resume with all of his or her professional, extracurricular, and volunteer opportunities. When the time comes for your student to tailor his or her resume for a specific position, this will save time!
Informational Interviews
Is your student interested in a particular industry and wants to learn more about what that job is like? Encourage him or her to schedule an informational interview with someone currently working in that field. This is a great way for your student to network and learn more about career opportunities. For more information on information interviews and for a list of sample outreach emails, visit http://careers.gmu.edu/students/interview.cfm.
Tip: Make sure your student has a list of questions before the informational interview. This will help your student standout and be prepared to make the most of the opportunity.
Volunteer
Volunteering is a tremendous way for your student to give back, learn new skills, and explore future careers. Your student can develop important soft skills that employers are looking for while developing a sense of civic responsibility. If your student is interested in continuing to volunteer when he or she returns to campus there are many opportunities available through Social Action and Integrative Learning!
Tip: Encourage your student to be strategic with his or her volunteering and look for opportunities that are related to a career or field or study he or she wants to learn more about!
We hope these tips help you provide your student with ideas and resources to make the most of the summer and get a head start on planning for next year!
Kristen Wright
Graduate Assistant
Family Programs and Services