Intentional Ways to Maximize Your Summer

Submitted by Jane Matthews, Associate Director, Employer Relations, Office of Career Planning

As we have officially wrapped up the 2022-2023 academic year, we hope your students will enjoy a break from classes and take time to rest, rejuvenate, and celebrate their successes! The summer break is also a great time for your student to get a jump-start on career decision-making and building experience. The Office of Career Planning is available to support your student during their process – we’re available for appointments all summer long! OCP is eager to work with your students, and we are available to serve them in both in-person and virtual capacities throughout the summer. Students can schedule appointments with our career counselors via Handshake, our interactive recruiting platform. Encourage your student to download the Handshake app to connect with us and to stay on top of upcoming career-related events and to view job and internship postings. 

Employers tell us that when hiring recent college graduates, they are looking for candidates with experiences relevant to the roles they seek to fill. Many students participate in internships over the summer, helping to solidify career interests and to build that experience. “Experience” doesn’t just come in the form of formal internships, though! Encourage your students to think broadly about ways to apply what they’re learning in the classroom. Short-term, project-based experiences are becoming increasingly popular with both students and employers and can be a great way for students to build their resume over the summer. Additionally, volunteering and job shadowing are valuable ways to gain clarity on career direction, make connections, and develop skills and experience employers are seeking. If your students are unsure of their career direction, encourage them to have career conversations with professionals to learn more about various career paths, providing them the opportunity to confirm interests and build a professional network at the same time. Know someone who could be helpful to your student? Refer them to colleagues, friends, and community members with experience related to their interests. 

Parents play a pivotal role in the career development process; being supportive of your student’s exploration and experiential learning will be essential to their success! Initiate conversations about your students’ career plans this summer, and encourage your students to take advantage of the resources our career counselors provide! Questions? Reach out to us at career@meredith.edu or 919-760-8341.