How to Have a Successful Summer

You are approaching the last turn and the finish line to the academic year is in sight! As your thoughts turn to summer plans, below are a few tips to making the most of it! It feels good to set and accomplish goals, so spend some time thinking about where you are in your career exploration journey, what you’d like to accomplish, and who is a part of your support team.

Remember that Career Center staff work all summer long and are here to help you! Click here to read about the various ways you can connect with a career coach.

Make career development itself a goal for the summer.

Did you know that the Career Center offers a free eight-week summer program that you can complete on your own time? If you haven’t read about Praxis yet, I encourage you to do so. Praxis is designed around the top competencies that employers are seeking in entry-level candidates. Each week, you’ll spend time developing a specific skill set. Praxis can be done as your sole summer plan or in conjunction with an internship or job. You can even add this experience to your resume to show employers your commitment to career development.

Sharpen your skill set.

If you don’t feel like you have time to complete a full program, consider choosing a few key areas to develop. A few areas to consider are 1.) articulation of skills, interests, and values, 2.) networking, and 3.) professional document preparation.

• Are you able to articulate your skills, interests, and values? Being able to do so is crucial for networking and applying for positions and programs of interest. If you need help in this area, consider utilizing Focus2. Focus2 is a major and career exploration platform that will guide you through a series of self-assessments. Your assessment results are then matched to career and BC-specific major options. Click here to access Focus2. If this is your first time signing on, you’ll need to complete the form and input the access code “Eagles”.

• I’m sure one of the reasons you decided to enroll at Boston College is because of the reputable alumni network. However, many students are unclear as to how to access this network. Take time to explore Eagle Exchange, to find alumni working in fields of interest. Eagle Exchange makes it easy to network.

• Use the summer months to build or fine-tune your resume and cover letter. If you aren’t feeling confident about your professional documents, don’t wait until a position of interest is posted to scramble through revisions. Utilize our resume and cover letter writing resources on our website as guides before scheduling a resume/cover letter review appointment. To schedule a resume or cover letter review during the summer months, visit this link. Upon scheduling, students will receive a Google Calendar invitation for their meeting with a Google Meet link embedded. 

By Philip Guarino, Assistant Director, Career Education