Ah, summer. Sunny days. No school. Time to see your friends and live the good life. Sure, you can do all of that stuff, but we also strongly recommend you take seriously the opportunity to develop your resume this summer. While you can’t be lazy, you can still have fun. During the year you may have to take classes you don’t want to or study for exams you dread. During the summer, you should explore your passions and maybe even get paid for them.
Getting a job is one of the best ways to spend your summer. We’re not going to list specific jobs that “look good” on college applications because the jobs available to you will change from place to place. Rather, we’re going to present you with three guidelines: like what you do, get paid for it, and don’t pay for it. We know this is a revolutionary take, but you would be surprised how many people violate at least 2 of these 3 suggestions.
Do Something That Interests You
We say this a lot, but one of your primary goals throughout high school should be to carve out an academic niche and get really specific about it. Summer is an opportunity to make some headway in that department. Ideally, this area of expertise is something you’re passionate about. Summer is the time to get creative and go all out in a non-classroom setting. If you have dreams of pursuing marine biology in college, reach out (early) to professors across the country conducting research and apply to be a research assistant. You might even get published. If you’re an entrepreneur in the making, summer is the perfect time to try out that business you’ve been dreaming about. Are you a theater producer? Produce a play or join the crew of a community theater group. Really find something that excites you and aligns with the academic brand you’ve been carving out for the last few years. Then, seek to complete a finite project.
Do Something That Pays
Getting paid is great and besides, a lot of high schoolers don’t have an option but to work. There is nothing wrong with having a paying job and in fact, universities will respect the fact that you worked hard, just like the adults in the admissions office have, to earn a living. Strive to grow in whatever position you take on. If you’re continuing a job you started during the school year, get promoted to assistant manager.
While we’re here: internships are okay, but you can’t just be making copies and getting coffee. Often times, pre-structured internships—especially for high schoolers—are really just free errand-running programs for flashy corporations. This doesn’t serve you and colleges will be able to tell that you didn’t learn or accomplish much, even if the company is really impressive. If you can secure an internship that you’re able to design—perhaps at a smaller company that aligns with your interests—you will have a better shot at doing meaningful work. If you go this route, take on one project for the summer that will be beneficial for the company in which you can say that you produced x, y, and z results by the end of your internship.
Don’t Do Something You Pay For
If you pay for it, it is not a job. For whatever reason, a lot of students think that, in order to be a competitive candidate at a great school, they need to go on an exotic service trip somewhere across an ocean. We are here to tell you: avoid this at all costs. For one, we can’t tell you how many essays admissions counselors get every year that start with “I walked off the plane in x country. Little did I know, it would change my life.” While students who go on these trips are often well-meaning, oftentimes it just looks like privileged students with a savior complex. You don’t need to do something you (or more likely your parents) have to pay to do. Use the summer to kickstart your career and explore your interests in life. Accomplishing something and working hard will feel good in the end.
Need some help landing on a summer program? Reach out to us here. We are great at helping students take advantage of summer opportunities.