Making the most of your summer

With the summer approaching, it is important to understand that value-adding employability activities for students do not start and end with internships alone. Indeed, some of you will have been fortunate to secure work-based opportunities already and will be looking forward to the challenges, and benefits, that they provide. But for those students who haven’t reached this stage yet, or who perhaps aren’t looking for an internship opportunity, there are plenty of other useful ways to spend the summer months.

Part time work

From an employers point of view, all work is good work as long as you are able to be reflective about your experiences, and understand (and sell) the transferable skills that you developed along the way. Don’t be quick to write off opportunities because they don’t align with your career aims. Aside from the very practical benefit of earning money, however, part time work can also be very relevant – the summer can be a great time to explore opportunities within the temping market, giving you exposure to new industries whilst developing office based experience.

Volunteering

Whilst it may not have the glamour of an internship, volunteering can be a very practical way of developing work related skills in a whole range of industry areas. This is not just for people looking to develop careers in the charity sector. Opportunities can cover a whole range of commercially relevant activities like marketing, business development, finance and technology. Try UCLU Volunteering or browse the Do It website to see what’s out there for you.

Research

The key to all good decision making lies in the planning and careers is no different. Use your time off from university to get to grips with the job market, to understand where your degree can take you, and to familiarise yourself with the difference career choices available. Websites such as Prospects and TARGETjobs are a great starting point for information but don’t forget to utilise in-house resources such as JobOnline to see the variety of jobs on offer and to identify what employers are asking for, in terms of skills and experience. You’ll have a head-start come September.

Networking

Can you hand-on-heart say to are doing everything to you can to utilise the networks you have around you? This is still a leading way to find work in the UK so make sure you are using your summer to talk to people you know about opportunities they may know. Attend networking events, speak to people about the jobs they do to increase your understanding of the world of work. Get LinkedIn savvy and start growing your web of contacts. Dip into the UCL Alumni Careers Mentoring Network to see if there is anyone there who can help you.

So don’t let the summer pass you by without making the most of the opportunities that it affords you. This is the time to get ahead, whether through practical exposure, defining what you want or widening your sphere of influence. Set yourself some summer goals to work towards so that your post-graduation plans are a step closer.