It’s Summertime! What to do?

It’s summertime and things around campus have slowed down - ALOT! Students are taking a much-deserved break from classes, tests, and oh yeah - finals…

So what can a student do to help out their resume when they are back home? Maybe you didn’t get that great internship or summer job at the Big 4 accounting firm you were wanting. So you aren’t brainstorming great marketing strategies at that cool marketing firm you wanted to go to. You don’t have any employees to manage or financial portfolios to consult on… Not to fret!

There are plenty of things you can do this summer to increase your marketability and brand this summer, even if you aren’t in Carbondale:

• Volunteer around your community. Get involved in community pride groups, local chamber of commerces, and other charitable organizations. If you are a marketing major maybe you can offer some suggestions on how an organization can ‘get the word’ out. If you are a management major you might offer to lead a project team on a particular task.
  
  
• Think about something your community needs - maybe a ‘clean-up’ day or a tree-planting campaign. Why not take the initiative and offer to start a new community-enhancing group up yourself?
  
  
• Volunteering can look really good on a resume, and makes for a great feeling at the end of the day. Hospitals, nursing homes, and summer camps are always looking for help!
  
  
• Are there other Saluki’s in your neighborhood? Start a local tradition of Saluki get-togethers and hold various events every two to four weeks. Bar-b-ques, after-hour parties, and fund-raisers for local charities are just a few ideas that groups like this might want to consider.

Also, the summertime is perfect for going back through and updating your resume. If you like, email me (mpurdy@cba.siu.edu) your resume and I’ll be happy to take a look at it and make suggestions. No time like the present!