Be Aware of What You're Doing Over Break

By Alex Bolten

Spring break is next week, and that not only means a week off from classes, but also a way to boost your career.

Some of us are traveling down to Florida, over to California, or leaving the United States for other countries. No matter where you go, you need to be aware of your surroundings and be conscious of how your actions can impact your future.

If you’re of the age to drink, it’s ok to partake because you’re legally allowed to. This does not mean, however, that you should go nuts. It might be fun to party on the beaches of Florida, but think about how you might be presenting yourself to future employers. Employers are continuing to look at the social media of their prospective employees. Think about how a picture of you with a bunch of alcohol or at a “raging party” on Instagram might make you look.

That’s not to say that you’re not allowed to have fun. By all means, enjoy your spring break! You should just be aware of the decisions that you are making and how these may affect your future.

One way that you can boost your resume is by listing any experiences that you had during break that would be relevant to the job that you’re applying for. This is especially true if you are leaving the country on a study abroad trip.

I myself am leaving for Greece later this afternoon with Purdue’s Department of Classics. We will be travelling all over the country and visiting various archaeological sites. I can place this experience on my application under “education” and truly show what I did. It could show that I studied new subject matter internationally and gave my learning a global perspective.

While I am abroad in Greece, I have to be just as wary as I would need to be if I were going to Florida or somewhere else in the United States. I’m going to have as much fun as possible without going crazy. Rules and customs are different there than they are here. I want to make sure that I am extra careful and that I don’t do anything over there that could get me into trouble. I also will have to be cautious of the dangers of social media: it might be fun to go out to a nightclub during my trip, but how will that make me look in the future?

All in all, just be careful and aware of your surroundings. Do not do anything crazy, but don’t have “too little” fun. Enjoy your time away from classes and your busy schedule to unwind and have fun with family and friends. The more you relax, the more rested you will be for the week after break is finished to “hit the ground running” and finish the semester strong.