Finding Ways to Remain Productive Without and Internship
It is okay to not have an internship every summer. Yes, internships build experience and can help you potentially find your dream job but, it is okay to take a break. My goal is to have at least one internship every year, including the summer. For me, having many internships allows me to build my resume, network, and find what I am very passionate about.
Even when you do not have an internship, there are many ways to still be productive and work towards your goals. I recommend researching different internships you want to apply for in the future. Even creating a list of what companies you wish to work for, is still being productive. You can also look at different departments that you would want to intern at. Check out my blog where I give tips for finding an internship.
During your time not having to balance schoolwork and an internship, it is important to work on yourself as an individual. This is a great time to improve your mental health and start focusing on ways to better your overall happiness. Become the best version of yourself, so that when you do get an internship at your dream company, or you are accepted for an amazing internship position, you will be your best self.
To improve yourself, you can put more time into other activities. It is very easy to learn a new skill, or even taking a free online class to build your knowledge on a topic. Learning a new skill, such as a new language, is a great way to make yourself stand out and more unique. A new language is something impressive to put on your resume as a skill. This is time to put more effort into other things while you are not preoccupied with schoolwork and an internship.
This is also time to put most of your effort into school. During your free time, study a little bit more for your upcoming test. Set academic goals for yourself to feel productive. Setting goals for yourself helps you feel like you are getting things done even though you are not interning. Goal setting keeps you on the path leading to success. This could help make your summer or semester not feel like it is unproductive. If you have extra time, find a job to still build your resume and gain more experience.
During the summer if you cannot find an internship take it easy and spend time with friends and family. This is important because when you do find an internship it might be hard to visit family often and to socialize with friends often.
Get excited about the upcoming internship and plan out the goals you want to accomplish at the new internship. This will make you enjoy your internship a little bit more and thankful that you got the opportunity. Read a blog from Erika where she talks about her senior co-op internship experience.