7 things you can do to build your future over the summer instead of doing an internship

By Hannah Vuozzo, Communications Manager

Some of your friends might be preparing for summer internships. If you’ve not secured a summer internship, you might be feeling left out. That’s how I felt after second year when it seemed like all my friends had summer internships. My only summer plan was to flip burgers at the public pool snack bar.

But good news! There are plenty of other things you can do with your summer to build your future.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a way to help yourself while helping others. You can gain essential skills, build connections with experienced professionals, boost your confidence, support a valuable cause and make friends.

Remember that you don’t need to volunteer all your time. Many voluntary roles are flexible to suit your needs, and you can often choose the level of commitment you’d like to have.

Get a part-time job

A part-time job can be appealing for several reasons, including that it’s paid. You can reap a lot of the same benefits as with volunteering.

Here are a few ways to find part-time jobs:

• Browse the Student Job Hub or other online job portals
• Look for hiring signs in your neighbourhood and enquire with local businesses
• Ask friends and family for leads

Reach out to an industry professional

If you’re connected to industry professionals on LinkedIn , there’s no reason why you can’t ping them a message to learn about their experiences and/or get advice.

If you’re not connected to industry professionals on LinkedIn, find potential connections via the alumni search tool. On a desktop browser, go to the University of Glasgow’s LinkedIn page . Click the ‘Alumni’ tab . Then, search for alumni by job title, company or keyword.

Once you find an alumnus you’d like to connect with, send them a personalised invite to connect.

On a desktop, go to that person’s profile and click ‘Connect’. Then, click ‘Add a note’ when prompted. On a mobile device, go to that person’s profile, but do not click ‘Connect’. Instead, click the three dots and then ‘Personalize invite’.

You can send your request to connect with a message like this:

Hi, [Name],

I’m currently studying at the University of Glasgow and see that you graduated from there and now work as [a/an] [job title]. I’m interested in pursuing this type of work, so I’d really like to learn more about your experiences by connecting here. Thank you!

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Work shadow

Work shadowing is a way to get insight into a role and/or organisation by observing a professional in the workplace doing their day-to-day job. It’s generally informal, unpaid and very short-term (eg a couple of days).

Consider what type of career you’d like to learn more about. If you’re unsure, use Prospects’ ‘What can I do with my degree?’ webpage .

Work shadowing opportunities aren’t usually advertised, so you’ll need to contact individuals and/or organisations yourself. This is where networking can come in handy (including alumni connections).

If you know someone you’d like to shadow, get in touch with them or their organisation to enquire about the possibility.

You can enquire using a message like this:

Hi, [Name],

I study [Discipline] at the University of Glasgow and am currently exploring my career options. I’m curious about your work as a [Job Title] and would love to gain more insight about what your job looks like on a day-to-day basis.

Would you and/or your organisation be open to organising a work shadowing opportunity?

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you!

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

If they say no, ask if they could put you in touch with someone who might be open to being shadowed.

You can also enquire about work shadowing opportunities at careers fairs.

See Prospects’ work shadowing webpage for more guidance.

Attend an event for a professional body

Most professional bodies strongly encourage students to join, and membership is often affordable or even free for students.

Often included in membership is access to events where you can learn about the industry, network and more.

Do a Google search to find a professional body for your target industry.

Upskill yourself

There are countless opportunities to upskill yourself online, many of which are free. Upskilling can be gold for your CV and help you secure future roles.

University of Glasgow students have free access to LinkedIn Learning , a library of online video courses covering a wide range of topics from using Excel and learning Python to acing job interviews and improving public speaking. Log in using your GUID.

The University also offers flexible, online SFC Upskilling courses on relevant, specialised topics. Fully funded places are available on a first-come-first-served basis to Scottish-domiciled learners. Each course is worth five or ten Academic Credits and lasts five or ten weeks.

If you’re interested in learning to code, you can learn for free through Code First Girls , an organisation that provides online coding courses for women and non-binary students and recent graduates. Explore courses and opportunities here . Our university code is ‘UPGLA’.

Research potential job opportunities

If you’re unsure about your career options, explore options using resources like Prospects’ ‘What can I do with my degree?’ webpage and/or Career Planner .

Once you have ideas, do further research to learn more about these career options. Use Prospects’ job profiles to get details about responsibilities, salaries, qualifications, skills and more.

If I were to suggest an eighth thing to do this summer, it’d be to not stress out and enjoy your summer. We each have our own unique career journey and go at our own pace. Take it easy, and have a fantastic summer!