While it may feel like a great time to take a break, it’s our experience that successful students find ways to continue their career engagement during time off from academics. There are many ways to maximize your winter break, including:
- Read books and articles related to your career interests. Self-development has no off-season, and articles are published regularly to inform you of current market trends.
- Find a mentor. Use LinkedIn to reach out to professionals in your industry or functional area of interest.
- Learn a new skill. Opportunities for skill development range from online courses, Google certifications, webinars, and even software tutorials.
- Volunteer. Sites like VolunteerMatch provide an amazing opportunity to beef up your resume with project experience as well as build STAR stories to use in upcoming interviews.
- Complete a virtual experience. Forage has many employer-designed virtual job simulations designed to help you build practical skills and gain experience that you can add to your resume!
- Meet with your Career Coach. Get on the calendar to continue refining your career strategy and implementation—available even during breaks!
- Job shadow. Connect with organizations of interest to inquire about job shadowing opportunities and observe positions you’re considering in action.
- Update online profiles and your resume template. Making sure your resume template, LinkedIn and Handshake profiles are polished and up-to-date will allow you to make quick adjustments when it’s time to submit tailored applications in the spring.
Schedule an appointment with your coach to map out the best ways to maximize your winter break.
