What you SHOULD do over summer break!

The summer break is fast approaching and you don't have an internship or professional job... You knew that you should have started looking months ago, but you were busy and simply thought 'I'll do that later'. Well, later is now. At this point you fear that the only job you will have this summer is flipping burgers or working on a construction site - neither of which appeals to you and you have no idea how you will relate those positions to your studies/career ambitions for Fall interviews.

There is hope.

Consider volunteering around your hometown. There are plenty of non-profit and local organizations that are generally very appreciative to get help with their bookeeping, marketing and/or management efforts. When searching for these kinds of opportunities it's important to be clear about what you can help with and explain to the organization that you are simply interested in volunteering. I would recommend against going in and asking for a paid opportunity, as most volunteer-based organizations simply don't have the budget for extra help.

Some organizations you may want to talk to about volunteering include:

• Chamber of Commerce Offices (this is a great way to get to know local businesses as well!)
• An economic development office
• A social services organization
• School districts (both public and private)
• Goodwill or Salvation Army locations
• Habitat for Humanity
• Politicians who have offices in your town
• You Church or Place of Worship.
  

It's important to realize that if you are hired to assist with a particular task you may will be asked to help out in many different ways around the office. Don't be offended by this, simply look at it as another way to realize that most businesses still take out their own trash every evening. If you have thought about starting your own business or working for a startup these activities can give you a very realistic idea of what it's like trying to 'keep all the plates in the air' on a daily basis.