You’ve made it! Summer is here and in full swing already. Whether you’re headed off to a summer internship, taking a course, or have nothing planned (yet), here are 10 things you can do this summer to continue your personal and career development.
1. Take. A. Break.
Summer break should be a time to chill, not burn out. Prioritizing free time provides a chance for personal reflection, emotional well-being, and exploration of academic and professional interests and experiences. Allow yourself some time to unwind and decompress from spring semester so you can recharge and reconnect with yourself and what’s most important to you.
2. Make the Most of Internships
Whether your internship this summer is remote, in-person, or hybrid, former Career Fellow and recent graduate Ekin Ocalan ‘22 has some great tips based on her own experience for how you can make the most of your internship this summer.
3. Do a Micro-Internship Through Jumbos4Jumbos
Tufts alumni are providing opportunities for undergraduate students in the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering, and School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts! These gigs and micro-internships can be done remotely, and you can find these opportunities in The Herd under “Projects.” Get all the info you need about Jumbos4Jumbos here.
4. No Internship? No Problem!
You don’t have to do an internship to have a meaningful summer. Watch this short presentation (~20 minutes) from the Career Fellows discussing internship alternatives and different ways to think about your summer. Virtual work experiences are also a great way to set yourself apart, build your skills and your resume, and explore what it’s like to work in different industries. And guess what? Tufts has partnered with Forage to provide top-notch and free virtual work experiences to ALL Tufts students. If you’re interested in learning about or gaining some experience in consulting, law, technology, finance, engineering, social impact, healthcare, education & teaching, human resources, and/or marketing, be sure to try out a virtual work experience this summer!
5. Catch up on our Podcast: From Here, To There
Did you know that the Career Center has a podcast that features alumni stories? From Here, To There podcast features Career Fellows talking to Tufts alumni about their career journeys, how they made decisions, what they did when things didn’t go as planned, and lessons learned along the way. Catch up on all 7 episodes on Spotify!
6. Make a New Connection 
Summer is a great time for career exploration and research. Find alumni with whom you share professional interests, or people with awesome-sounding jobs you want to know more about, and connect with them for conversation and advice. Learn how to use The Herd and LinkedIn to make the most of virtual networking.
7. Read Up on Advice from Alumni
Curious about alumni career paths and what advice they have for you? Check out our series “3 Questions With…” where we ask alumni 3 short questions, allowing you to get great information and advice in minutes.
8. Learn About What Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Look Like Beyond Tufts and in the Workplace
Society is currently focused on race and racism in a way that hasn’t happened for a generation. Experts on emotional intelligence share tools that you can use to navigate the emotional terrain of this topic — especially in the workplace — in this webinar on the Emotions of Racism. In April, we talked to Tufts alumni and industry leaders all about Change-Making in the Workplace. If you’re wondering what to expect as you enter the world of work and the kind of impact you as a student or recent graduate can have, you can watch our discussion and read up on topics discussed and advice shared on our website.
13. Crack Open a Book (Not a Textbook)
Now’s the time to get into a book (or two!) for fun. Here’s a few that we’re reading over break:
- Ikigai by Hector Garcia: A short and simple read about the Japanese concept IKIGAI that may frame how you think about your interests, values, and purpose.
- You Majored in What? Designing your Path from College to Career by Katherine Brooks: A Career Center favorite for Liberal Arts students on connecting the dots and finding your path.
- The Overstory by Richard Powers: This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of the natural world.
- Lead from the Outside by Stacy Abrams: This book is a blueprint for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider who wants to be a leader of change. Have “imposter syndrome?” This book is for you.
10. Start building your personal finance knowledge.
One of our favorite and most popular topics. Your future self will thank you for the effort you put in now. Here’s a guide for getting started.
