For many of us, the end of lockdown and stay-at-home orders aren’t even in sight. As some states reopen and others plan timelines, there are still states that have been reluctant to share dates. And even in areas that do reopen, an abundance of caution is still recommended, and no one really knows what’s going to happen. Internships and summer jobs have been canceled across the board, but this blow to our career development may be an opportunity to channel our energy elsewhere. Here are some ways to work on career development from your childhood bedroom.
- Virtual Learning Experiences
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While it’s not quite the same as an in-person internship, virtual experiences can be super informative and give you a taste of what working in a certain role/at a certain company is actually like. InsideSherpa has lots of popular ones, like BCG Strategy Consulting, Accenture’s Discovery Program, and more from names like KPMG and Deloitte. They’re self-paced, typically take 5-6 hours to complete, and they’ll show you the actual work done by their own employees so you can compare.
- Refine Your Resume
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BU students get to use VMOCK for free, so use it! Take this time to get your score up and really perfect your resume. The Center for Career Development has great resume guides here, and a lot about cover letters too, if you want to tackle a template or practice writing one for an open position.
- Catch Up On Your Reading
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If your summer plans are essentially nonexistent, catching up on reading is a great idea. There’s so much you can read too— information on employers, if you’re scoping out certain companies; certain news outlets and newspapers (I’m jumping on the chance to actually read the Financial Times); and even independent reading books that might teach you a little something you’ve never considered before.
- Get Ahead On Your Reading
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Internships don’t just exist in the summer— many of them happen during the academic year, in either fall/spring semesters. While landing an internship like this requires some special luck in terms of scheduling classes, it can be made easier if you’re already ahead in your classes. Fall is still up in the air, of course, but if everything reopens then and you’ve already read all of the 19th century Brit lit that you have to read for your class, then juggling an internship and classes becomes significantly easier.
- Make Connections
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Get on LinkedIn and start connecting with people! Growing your network is huge in terms of landing an internship or a job. Not only do your chances of getting selected for an interview or position increase when you’re referred by someone, but professionals can give you invaluable career advice specific to your industry and ideal job. This is a great time to learn about company culture and priorities too. Reach out on LinkedIn or, if you want that BU connection, check out the Career Advisory Network and talk to BU alumni!
Go forth and do great things! But also remember to take time for yourself— there’s a big push to use the pandemic as an opportunity to get ahead on learning things like programming or Excel, and while we love being productive, we love being healthy too!
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