Top 10 Tips for Taking Advantage of Winter & Spring Break
Winter and Spring Break are great opportunities to prepare for your job or internship search and overall career and academic plans. Here are 10 things you can do to feel more prepared before returning to the Bluff:
1. Reflect to get clarity on your interests, skills and goals
Participate in design thinking activities, reflect on the courses you enjoy most or the co-curricular activities that make you feel most energized. Look for themes in the causes and communities you feel most motivated, connected and interested in and make an action plan once classes resume to do more of those activities. Check out campus involvement opportunities through Student Leadership and Development.
Make an appointment with a Career Coach once break is over via Handshake or drop into their weekly virtual office hours. Be sure your career interests are completed on Handshake in order to see our coaches' availability.
2. Polish your resume and get it reviewed on VMock
Your resume is a marketing tool that highlights your education, skills, and experiences, showcasing to employers and graduate schools how you align with their position or program. Make sure it is a clear, concise summary of relevant skills, campus and community engagement, and work experiences that doesn't exceed two pages. Get started by reviewing our resume guides.
Don’t forget to:
- Add leadership positions, community engagement activities, skills (technical and otherwise), on-campus employment, and academic projects or research
- List relevant courses, badges, certificates, or degrees from other institutions
- Remove high school information after sophomore year
- Include any study abroad or international experiences
- Include any languages you know, fluently or conversationally
After updating, be sure to upload your resume to VMock, CPD's 24-7 online resume-review tool. You will receive instant and personalized feedback with line-by-line suggestions on how to improve your resume.
3. Take advantage of your location and build your network
Take advantage of being away from the Bluff to expand your network. Start by talking with family and friends about companies you would like to work or intern for and follow-up with those you are referred to by scheduling informational interviews, virtual meetings, or job shadowing to gain advice on a career path. Even if they are not available to meet with you, they will appreciate the initiative as you build your network. Share with professors, mentors, coaches, and classmates what you are interested in and ask if they can make introductions via email or LinkedIn.
4. Find and participate in career events on Handshake
CPD hosts ongoing virtual and in-person workshops throughout the academic year with recruiters, professionals, and alumni from over 100 different companies and organizations. Explore details on all upcoming events and browse Handshake's Resource Library where you can view recordings of past events.
5. Use LinkedIn to find contacts at your dream companies
Did you know there are over 62,000 Lions on LinkedIn? Did you know that 80% of jobs and internships are never posted publicly? Building relationships is critical to your job and internship search, and LinkedIn is a great place to start. Reach out to professors, past or current bosses, and friends to add to your network.
Follow companies you want to intern or work for, create job alerts, follow hashtags, and update your profile to make it clear who you are and what opportunities you're seeking.
Also, consider taking a LinkedIn Learning course to develop new skills to add to your resume. You can access LinkedIn Learning via the MyLMU portal under "Employment." Once break is over, visit CPD in VDA 135 to take a complimentary professional headshot to add to your LinkedIn profile.
6. Schedule informational interviews with LMU alumni, professors and mentors
Join and explore The Pride, LMU’s platform for connecting students with alumni for mentorship and career guidance. This platform is exclusive to the LMU community, and you can search for alumni based on industry, affinity, areas in which you need help, shared involvement in campus organizations, and more. Reach out to alumni to set-up an informational interview.
7. Research opportunities, here and abroad
Many job and internship programs start accepting applications early in the year. Use your time over break to think of what you might want to do with your summer and get a head start on applying.
Conduct career or industry-related research on the Occupational Outlook Handbook or O*NET, and browse our diversity-focused career resources to find organizations that align with your values. Once you’ve identified your target organizations, research their application processes, and connect with LMU alumni or others in your network who work there.
Another way to get experience and explore a new city or country is through fellowships. Check out such opportunities through the Office of National & International Fellowships and schedule a time to talk to a staff member to learn about your options during and after your time at LMU.
8. Use Handshake to find jobs and internships and Parker Dewey to find micro-internships
Handshake has over 10,000 exclusive job and internship opportunities for Lions. Keep your profile up to date, including GPA, resume, and career interests, and set it to public so employers can find you! Students with complete profiles are five times more likely to be messaged by employers recruiting on Handshake.
Looking for more of a short-term work project to gain experience? Check out Parker Dewey, a free platform for students and alumni to create a profile and apply for paid opportunities known as micro-internships in your field or industry of interest.
9. Volunteer
Donating your time to an organization or cause you care about is a great way to use your time over break and give back to your community. Volunteer experience can enhance your resume by demonstrating your well-roundedness and commitment to social justice and responsibility. Explore opportunities on Points of Light, Idealist.org, or through the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action.
10. Practice your elevator pitch and consider what's next
If you are graduating soon, you will likely hear the following question repeated by friends and family: "So what are your plans for after graduation?" Use this opportunity to practice your Elevator Pitch - a short, well thought out response that articulates your goals, interests, and action plan for life after LMU. Practice tailoring your response to employers in different industries or locations. And remember, discernment is lifelong, so you do not need to have it all "figured it out". Ask for the support you need from your community at LMU and beyond and know that you have CPD as a resource once you graduate.
Lastly, think about what your first position or step after graduation might look like (instead of trying to plan your entire career or life plan) and get connected to the Alumni and Family Engagement Office as LMU is your community for life.
Have a wonderful break, Lions!