It’s the end of the semester, and you can finally get a break from class deadlines and weekly meetings. This break is the moment right before your second semester of college, and of course you’re trying to catch up on all the sleep you missed during the semester. Have you ever thought about being productive around this time. Although this mini vacation might not be as long as the summer break, the time can be used to pursue your personal goals. Here are five ways that you can stay productive during your winter break.
1.Watch for Internship Deadlines: Are you ahead of the game? Are you sure? Some of the most competitive markets are looking for applicants who apply first to their internship programs. Most competitive summer internship programs close in December or early February. The more you intern, the better you get at doing what you love. When you gain exposure and an understanding about your field, it makes your resume stand out.
2. Invest In Your Business: Are you a future entrepreneur ? If so, start investing in your brand, and look for different ways your business could gain recognition. In your spare time, come up with a logo or website that will represent an ideal image of your business. The most important part is to do as much research as you can to ensure that your business runs smoothly. This will help you establish the right foundation for your business.
3. Set Goals for Next Semester: Write some career goals down that you believe will help you flourish during your next semester of school. It’s important to evaluate your goals as the new year approaches. After you’ve completed your spring schedule, start looking at the course objectives to get a feeling of what the classes will be about. This is a good way to start early in knowing what your day to day class discussions will be about.
4. Start Job Searching: Many students wait till after graduation to begin searching for jobs that alight with their major, but there is no better time than the present. A useful tool to use while networking is creating a LinkedIn Profile. This platform is used for professional networking opportunities for aspiring employees and current workers as well. While LinkedIn might be the targeted site that most hiring managers look at, start cleansing your other social media accounts too. During your process of job searching, make sure you have all the essential things that the job market is looking for.
5. Volunteer in your community: After you have invested so much into yourself, pay it forward by dedicating time to communities that need it the most. During the holidays the Salvation Army holds a bell ringing volunteer opportunity for people who want to help donate to the community. Another great opportunity is reading and helping out at your local elementary schools. Volunteering is something that everyone should experience, even if only for an hour.
When you get this free time to yourself, use it to invest in yourself and help others. This break is the moment where you should find yourself while learning new things about yourself. We can all agree that sleeping is amazing, but sleeping won’t make you successful.