How to Utilize Your Winter Vacation (Professional Style)

By: Maureen Corbett

As winter break is quickly approaching, I'm sure I am not the only college student who can't wait to run home, jump into my favorite pair of sweatpants, and not leave my bed until January. As tempting as this might sound however, there are much more useful things you could be doing with your time. One goal that every college student should have over this break is to develop yourself more professionally. Here are some useful tips to help you get the ball rolling:

1. Search for Summer Internships
Don't wait until April or later to start looking for a position over the summer. Post companies will already have hired students and won't be interested in taking on anyone else. So while you are doing nothing over break, make sure to make a list of places you would be interested in working and start filling out some application.

2. Update your Resume
Your resume is almost never complete. There are always ways that it could be improved or tweaked. So utilize your time the next couple of weeks to really work through it and make sure it is the best it can be. Have your friends and family look over it, or take it to a professional and get their opinion. Your resume is your main tool that can help you market your abilities to potential employers, so make the most of it.

3. Volunteer Locally
Community involvement is extremely important in today's work force. Volunteering your time to an organization you are passionate about can show employers that you are not afraid to go the extra mile. It is a great thing to be able to put on a resume, and it will also make you feel like you did something productive over break.

4. Network
Reach out to professionals in a field that you are interested in. Ask if you can do field research or job shadow an employee for a day. This will allow you a peek into the every day life of that profession and help you get a sense of if this is the right job for you. There are other ways you can network as well. Create a LinkedIn account or update your existing one. The more people you know, the more possibilities that are potentially available to you in  the future.