While summer internships are an important part of many professional paths, not having one won’t make or break your career. Future employers will be understanding if there’s no internship listed on your resume for this summer. That said, your professional development doesn’t have to grind to a halt this summer just because you don't have a formal internship. In fact, there are several ways you can stay productive, continue learning, and gain professional experience that don’t require a formal internship. Here are eight ideas:
If you have a particular skill, like writing, programming, or design, put out a call to your network or create a profile on sites like Upwork to trade your skills for paid projects. Not only will you hone your skills, but you’ll gain valuable experience meeting real deadlines and delivering real results – all while bringing in some money.
If the freelance route isn’t for you, you can still turn your skills into something tangible. Launch a blog, build a software application, or spearhead a social impact project; whatever you choose to do, employers will be impressed you had the initiative and skill set to bring something real into the world.
There are plenty of websites offering courses that you can take up online. You can find a huge variety of subjects ranging from business and management to humanities. Explore online courses from websites like FutureLearn, edX, or Coursera to build professional skills and continue learning this summer. Professors and field experts prepare learning materials like videos, articles, and exercises to help students understand the topics. Generally, the courses from these websites are free and you can view the lessons. However, you will often need to pay if you want to earn a certificate upon completion of the course.
Take this opportunity to learn about new subjects that you might be interested in. Not only will you develop concentration and self-discipline, but you will also be equipping yourself with the knowledge that can aid your career growth.
Depending on the field you're going into, speaking another language can improve your employability and increase your overall job prospects. You can start by checking out free online language learning platforms like Duolingo and Memrise. They are also available as applications on your electronic devices to make learning more convenient for you. Babbel is also a good application, but it has a subscription fee. Although summer might not be enough to be fluent in a new language, it may foster your interest and influence you to enroll in formal language classes sometime in the future. The best thing about learning by yourself is you can go on your own pace, and there is significantly less pressure to be immediately good at it.
Volunteering gives you a great opportunity to have valuable experience in your field while learning from mentors. You will develop key career skills that you can include in your resume. The United Nations Development Programme and The Smithsonian both provide avenues to make a significant difference through online volunteering. You can find opportunities to transcribe, research, translate, and write for important causes. Those who want to brush up their writing skills can also contribute to publications that offer guest posting.
Depending on the organization you work with, your outputs from virtual volunteering can be included in your portfolio. This will demonstrate your competencies to potential employers, showing that you can produce high-quality work.
If you want to learn digital skills like data science, software development, and programming, research about remote boot camps. Many boot camps are pricey, but there are no-cost alternatives like App Academy Open and Code Academy. They also have paid plans that will give you access to additional materials and content on top of the available lessons. Many of these programs are not self-guided and teachers will facilitate the coaching according to the curriculum. The boot camps help students acquire valuable skills for their chosen career field, but they are also available for beginners from any other academic discipline. The hands-on mentorship and outcome-oriented exercises prove to be very valuable training. Some boot camps can be as short as four weeks, but others can take 3-6 months. If you have an inclination to digital technology, you might want to try it out.
To help your internship or job search in the future, take this time to reach out to people and expand your network. Even if you don’t attend networking events, it is possible to grow your network through LinkedIn. Online networking through LinkedIn will not only open you to more opportunities, but it will also give you knowledge on how to navigate your career path. The summer is a great opportunity to establish a relationship with potential mentors. Identify relevant people who work in your desired field and reach out to them.
Aside from a LinkedIn profile, you can keep building your personal brand through a personal website. If you don’t have one yet, you can easily set it up over the summer. Check out hosts that allow you to build one for free, like Wordpress or Wix. These websites have plenty of templates for you to choose from and they are easily customizable to your style. A personal website is a great advantage for college students and professionals alike because it allows future employers to view your background and see how well you apply what you know. You can use that avenue to set yourself apart by putting your resume, blog posts, and portfolio all in one place. When you already have one, constantly update it and include new projects. Make sure that your contact information is up-to-date so people can reach out to you.
Internships aren’t the only way to set yourself up for rewarding full-time opportunities after graduation. From building your own projects to learning new skills to networking virtually, you can make this summer a pivotal one for your professional and personal growth.
Looking for an internship for next summer? Make a free profile on RippleMatch to connect with top employers today.