Happy Summer! While it’s important to spend some time relaxing, you may also be asking yourself: how can I be productive and continue to learn over the summer? Whether you have specific internship or job plans already, there are many many ways you can gain career-related experience and strengthen your skills over summer break. As a bonus, many of these can be added to your resume as well. More good news – these tools are all free for Tufts students!
1.) First up: Forage! This platform offers virtual work experience programs for Consulting, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Tech, Law, Social Impact and more. Throughout the experience, top companies teach students the skills they look for in new hires BEFORE they hire you. No applications or experience required — this is done in your own time, at your own pace.
The programs mimic entry-level work done at several firms: BCG, Citi, Deloitte, GE, JP Morgan, Latham & Watkins, White & Case, and more. Once enrolled, you are given a hypothetical set of tasks that an employee would be expected to complete on a given workday. By completing the programs, you experience real world scenarios and gain practical skills professionals use daily. In addition to new skills, you will also have the chance to connect with the firms directly. The majority of these projects can be completed in under 8-10 hours.
Check out Forage Virtual Work Experience Programs
2.) Next, another one of our favorites for skill development: Udemy! Through this platform, you can access hundreds of online courses and training videos across a variety of topics (both hard & soft skills), for a range of experience levels, and of differing video lengths. Here’s a quick sample, organized by topic, to give you a sense of the variety:
- Communication: How to Write Better Emails, Assertive Communication, Workplace Communication Skills
- Software: Microsoft Excel – From Beginner to Expert in 6 hours, Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation, Beginner to Pro in Powerpoint: Complete Powerpoint Training, Python for Beginners
- Finance: Introduction to Finance, Accounting, Modeling, and Valuation; Finance 101: Financial Skills for the Real World
- Emotional & Mental Health: How to Develop Emotional Resilience, Flourishing in Stressful Times
- Career Development: Leadership – Essentials for Career Development, Boost Your Career by Developing Soft Skills
- and lots more!
Browse Tufts Udemy Online Learning Paths
3.) In addition, our newest tool for consulting and case interview preparation, as well as Excel and Powerpoint training: Management Consulted! All Tufts students now have access to the entire Management Consulted library of resources:
- 500+ cases
- 9 video courses
- 10K case drills
In these resources, you will learn the ins and outs of mental math, case and fit interviews, PowerPoint, Excel, and more – it’s soup-to-nuts, A-to-Z coverage of everything you need to know to:
- Network for available jobs and internships
- Prepare for upcoming interviews
- Build skills to prepare for jobs and internships
Login and review Management Consulted resources
4.) Finally, Network with Tufts Alumni! This is a perfect time to reach out to alumni who are working in career paths and/or with employers that are interesting to you. We recommend that students find alumni using LinkedIn or the Herd, our Tufts flash mentoring program. Once you find an alum you’d like to speak with, the goal is typically to contact them to set up a short zoom or phone call. We have sample outreach emails, networking questions, and thank you emails to help you along the way!
Check out our Networking resources on the Career Center website
We hope you found these ideas informative and helpful! The Career Center will be open over the summer, with virtual advising appointments available. Career Advisors would be glad to chat with you about these resources and any/all career questions. Please feel free to make an appointment on Handshake. Have a wonderful summer!
