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Careers: a summer to-do list

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It’s early July and, if my primary school knowledge is still intact, that can only mean one thing – it’s summer; a time where lounging around in your pajamas, Friends marathons and perspiring when you walk are all socially acceptable!

Still, forget what society thinks, because if you’re getting ready for college, university, or the ‘big bad world’ out there, summer may be the key to giving your future career that little leg-boost. Here’s how and why.

Part-time work

If Dolly Parton taught us anything over the Glastonbury weekend, it’s that working 9-5 is quite the way to make a living. In terms of your career, that couldn’t be truer. Not only will working over summer give you some much-needed cash in your back pocket, but it’ll look great on your CV when you show a future employer that you spent the broad summer months being, well, not a coach potato.

Volunteer work

Similarly, volunteering is also a great way to build you up to that dream career of yours. Whilst you won’t be getting any Queen Elizabeth’s for your time, the hours that you clock in will airbrush your CV, help you gain an insight into the area you wish to work in and, through groups such as vInspired, possibly win you an award for your work!

LinkedIn profile

Having the word ‘Corporation’ on the end of its name, as well as numerous pictures of business executives with gleaming-white dentures, can make LinkedIn seem like a foreign land to your stereotypical youngster. Still, it isn’t all that bad, especially if you want to rub shoulders with some of the giants in your industry.

A best start would be to make your own LinkedIn profile. There, you can add your volunteering and part-time experiences, list a set of skills you have that would be suitable for your career and make connections with the ‘big dogs’, as well as any of your friends and rivals. Oh, and your name will come up when somebody Googles you – yay for free advertising!

Social media

Twitter is a great way to follow just about anyone: people with similar interests to you, company titans and even celebrities. If these categories are in some way related to the job you want, then you’ll have a tailored news feed which gives you the latest updates. And who knows? Keep your fingers and toes crossed and they may just follow you back. Okay, maybe just your fingers.

And then there’s Klout, which makes a great partner in crime for your Twitter use. It suggests people for you to follow, providing you provide the relevant information, and helps you produce relevant content that can get attention better than Brian Blessed with a megaphone. The first time I’ve used that simile, I assure you!

The internet

With regards to the internet, it’s pretty snazzy when it comes to finding available job vacancies in the field and updates in its climate through the media. Not to patronise you, but the internet’s always changing, so keep on top of your research over summer in case your sources go past their expiration date. Couple that with your social media efforts and you have the recipe for success, as well as a whole host of other business-related clichés!

There we have it, folks, a summer to-do list for your future career. These are just five tips from myself, so I won’t be arrogant and tell you that they’re the best in town. But, hey, if they work, then it appears my life coaching does too!

Do you have any more summer career tips for students? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo: Ken Teegardin / Flickr

Adrian HoranCareers: a summer to-do list

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