It’s not too late to get some valuable work experience this summer and contrary to popular belief it doesn’t have to be in the form of an internship. Here are five options to think about:
1. Find a holiday job
There are plenty of organisations that require staff for the summer period – positions range from teaching English overseas, working as a children’s camp leader, to being a representative for a travel company. You’ll get plenty of responsibility and lots of skills that future employers will be interested in. The seasonworkers website is a good place to start your search.
2. Do some volunteering
There is a wealth of volunteering opportunities available over the summer. In the UK it might be volunteering at a music festival, working in the head office of an NGO, or working in a team on an environmental project. Check out LSE’s Volunteer Centre for more, including overseas options.
3. Set up a work shadow opportunity
Work shadowing is when you observe someone at work for a day or couple of days in order to get a better understanding of what a job really entails, what are the usual day to day activities and skills used. It’s a great opportunity to test out your perceptions and sense check your interest and fit for the job or organisation post-graduation. Work shadowing isn’t usually advertised so you’ll need to contact people directly.
4. Register with a recruitment agency for temporary work
Many recruitment agencies place people in organisations for short periods of time ranging from days to weeks. There are hundreds of agencies that do this sort of work. In order to save time use a website like indeed.co.uk to do some of the initial search. Just put ‘temporary’ in the search box. Once you’ve found some opportunities you’re interested in, check our advice on working with recruitment agencies and then you’ll be ready to apply.
5. Contact an organisation directly for summer work
Many organisations, especially smaller ones, are open to people contacting them directly and asking where they might need additional support or extra resource. You’ll need to target your application and be specific in what you ask for but we’ve worked with many students who’ve gained interesting work experience in this way. A piece on our website shows you how to do it effectively.
Finally, have a look at a recent blog we’ve written for more ideas on getting alternative work experience, remember we’re open all summer to support you, and good luck!
