I know many college students can’t wait to just kick up their feet and relax in anticipation of college break. College breaks are definitely a time to catch up with family and friends and do some of the fun things that you have been missing over the course of the last several months in college. Although I most heartily agree with rejuvenation and spending time with friends and family, I also think that college breaks are an excellent time to engage in doing some professional networking, updating your resume and cover letter, as well as seeking out the many summer internship opportunities that are available for students.
Traveling to Exotic Places
Although I spoke to a number of students who had travel plans to visit exotic places in sunny, warm climates like the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and Florida; some hearty souls preferred to remain in the North Country to take in some skiing or snowboarding. One group of young men were renting a house in Vermont and planned to enjoy some winter sports and visit several quaint little towns in southern part of the state. Although they were only going a couple of hours from campus, they had plans on getting away and having some fun. I found myself getting excited as they told me their stories and I thoroughly agreed that taking a break was a great idea. Taking a well-deserved break would help them return to campus feeling rested and with a new sense of purpose and energy to help them complete the remaining work of the semester.
A Time For Renewal and Relaxation
Since vacations are definitely great and healthy ways to de-stress and take the edge off a very busy semester, I agree that students should take the time to enjoy themselves and schedule some fun in their schedule. I actually found myself feeling bad for students who said they were staying on campus during break and they needed the time to get caught up on their classwork or to finish up their thesis. Afterall, in order to function optimally, we all need ample time to recharge our batteries and reenergize ourselves.
The Reality
As I listened to students and their stories and I answered some of their questions on how to find a summer internship, I felt guilty asking them if they had already prepared a resume. They came to me in hopes of finding a summer internship, but had not considered that they would need to have a resume to apply. I found myself in a dilemma between encouraging them to relax and have fun during break and the need to get busy preparing resumes and cover letters to be able to send out to employers. The truth is that although some internship deadlines may have already passed, there are still a number of internships available that have quickly approaching deadlines to apply.
The Dilemma
Since many students had told me that they had not completed a resume because they didn’t know where to start and they were just too busy with their classes; my concern was how do they plan to return from break and attend classes, complete their resume and cover letters, and look for a summer internship? I brainstormed with students and came up with a plan that seemed not only feasible but met both their needs as well – the need to take some time off and relax during break and the need to spend a little time looking for a summer internship or job.
The Solution
First, we worked on demystifying the resume process. With the right tools, it really isn’t as hard as most people make it out to be. Be sure to check with your college's Career Services Office to see if they offer any resume tools to assist with the process. Our college offers Optimal Resume that provides an easy way to develop resume, cover letters, portfolios and even has a module for practice interviewing. Although I usually don't recommend the usual resume templates that are available (often creates difficulty in formatting and when trying to update information), I do find Optimal to be an easy, intuitive resource to help students develop an effective resume and cover letter.
If you are doing your resume on your own, you will first want to get your personal information and your education down on paper. Wow, we are one third of the way done! Now let’s put down your experiences (internships, jobs, volunteer and co-curricular activities, relevant coursework). We are getting there. How about skills? Here you can include computer skills, foreign language skills, or any other specialized skills you possess. Once we’ve listed all of the information and described some of our most important experiences, let’s work on the formatting and how we can make it look good. Remember to be consistent throughout your resume – when it’s completed, review the entire resume for consistency in abbreviations, bold typeface, italics, capitalization, and bullets. Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?
Taking Action
Now take a minute to think about the type of internship experience you would like to have for the summer. Are you interested in working in a business environment doing advertising, marketing, public relations, etc.? Or are you more interested in the art world and want to get experience working in theater, a museum, or a gallery? Maybe you are interested in the environment. By identifying your interests and deciding on a location of where you’ll be during the summer, you can begin looking at the many online resources to see what kinds of internships exist. Take a good look at the deadlines to apply and review the qualifications to make sure you match at least 75% of what they’re looking for and then go ahead and apply. Cover letters, if required, can be drafted once you know the internship you are applying to and will focus on marketing your skills and accomplishments by expressing your interest and motivation and matching your experiences to the qualifications of the position.
