You remember walking out of that interview confident as ever that you would receive the summer internship of your dreams. In the coming weeks, you wait with anticipation to hear from the company and maybe even splurge on a suit to impress everyone on the first day of the job. But suddenly, it’s finals week and you receive a call that you did not receive an internship and you now have no job for the summer as well as no plans. Here are 5 things to do if you didn’t get that internship that will still make your summer worthwhile.
1. Take Summer Classes
Most colleges offer summer class where you can get some of your general requirements done. Don’t want to stay at your college for the summer? Check out local community colleges or local universities to see what classes they offer. Use these classes to get ahead and potentially graduate early and show that internship that they are missing out on a motivated and persistent college student who will reach their goals sooner than anticipated.
2. Become a Camp Counselor
They’re probably your biggest nightmare: kids. But becoming a camp counselor can be fun and rewarding. While expected to be a leader for kids, you still get to be goofy and act like a kid again from camping, games, and arts & crafts. The first week may be hard adjusting to working with kids. You will come back the second week and suddenly you will have a little buddy for the summer who won’t judge your clothes or your hair.
3. Local Job
While spending time in your local town may not have been your summer dream, local jobs are abundant during the summer as different crowds pass through for summer travels. From the library to the grocery store to even McDonalds, most places look for summer help and even though you might not wear the classiest uniform, the little spending money couldn’t hurt.
4. Become a “Starving Artist”
How often during the semester do you become frustrated because you can’t explore your creative side? There are papers to write and test to study for! Take the summer to dive into the artistic lifestyle. Sketch nature or paint in a local park. Write an over the top novel about a girl who cannot get a job, sound familiar? If you can sing or play an instrument, use your talent by performing at cafes or on a popular street. The “starving artist” routine gives you enough time to wallow over not having internship, but gives you the chance to creatively move on.
5. Become an entrepreneur
You think if you hear one more youthful success story, you may vomit. Have a great idea? Why don’t you take the summer to push that idea into reality? From starting a blog, selling art prints, or finding vintage clothes, you could become an entrepreneur. With websites like etsy.com and blogger.com, the possibilities are endless for what you could sell or write. If that doesn’t sound appealing, you could start your own pastry business and deliver to homes or start your own pet watching business if you’re an animal lover.
So you didn’t get that internship, but don’t be bummed out because your summer could turn out amazing and better than expected.