Now that your exams and final assignments have finished you may be wondering what to do with your summer. If you’re moving around then it can be difficult to get a head start on your future career and gain experience over the summer.
However, there are all sorts of experiences available that are both fun and flexible and will hopefully fit into your plans while also boosting your CV.
1. Network
One of the most effective ways to find a job is by meeting people. Knowing more people means knowing more people that might know of a vacant summer position. There are various ways to do this, but the best place to start will be the networking part of our website and coming along to our seminars and events to learn more.
LinkedIn is another great way to build your network, so check our page dedicated to LinkedIn and read our blog posts!
2. Check CareerHub
We have hundreds of jobs that employers have advertised with us available on CareerHub. You can search from the moment you log in with the opportunities bar on the home page. Under the “Types of work” option you can filter by several different options, including working while studying, volunteering, and graduate employment.
If you’re interested in working for a particular employer, you can search for them under the “Organisations” tab. If you click the “+Follow” button on the employer profile, you’ll receive a notification whenever they post a new job vacancy or attend an event on campus. It’s also worth looking at the full range of things you can do on CareerHub to make sure you’re making the most of it.
3. Tourist industry
Working in the customer service industry can give you a huge range of skills, highly valued by employers. During the summer period a large number of shops, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and similar employers require extra work for a fixed period, so are a great idea if you’re looking to supplement your income and gain some extra additions to your CV.
These kinds of jobs are often advertised on general job sites such as Indeed or TotalJobs, but you can find more information on the Overseas Job Centre and the World Travel and Tourism Council, or by going into your local employer’s outlet, asking about summer opportunities and handing in your CV.
4. Volunteer
Volunteering over the summer can lead to some of the most fulfilling experiences of your life, both personally and developmentally. Our Volunteer Centre can help direct you to roles and advise you on what’s out there, but the easiest way to start would be through our Opportunities bar on CareerHub which includes UK and overseas-based roles.
Select ‘Volunteering’ under ‘Types of Work’ and then you’ll see a large range of volunteering opportunities, both UK and abroad, that can give you the chance to do anything from coaching careers to caring for sea turtles. In addition to being a great way to meet new people and get new experiences, volunteering also looks great on your CV, so have a look at what’s on offer for you.
5. Temping
Temping is a great way to generate some income on a short-term basis while you’re free over the summer. After joining an agency, they will find jobs for you to fill in for when needed in a range of roles and businesses.
When you join a temping agency, they may require you to complete some IT tests to demonstrate your skills to potential employers. There are also a huge range of temping agencies: many are for general jobs across London, but others will specialise in certain areas or sectors, so have a look at a few and find out what’s best for you. Use our list of recruitment agencies to find one locally to you.
6. Go international
If you want a holiday over the summer but also need to work, then combine the two and have a working holiday. Current students have access to GoinGlobal, which is a great resource with jobs boards and advice on approaching the jobs market in a variety of countries.
7. TEFL
On the subject of working internationally, doing a TEFL qualification and position is one of the most popular ways to do this. TEFL involves teaching English abroad, so have a look at our page on this to find some more basic information.
Our Resource Centre in the Saw Swee Hock building also has some books on teaching English abroad if you need to know more.
8. Work on your own enterprise
If you’ve had an idea for something great that you’ve never been able to explore it properly, then a free summer is the perfect time to start.
LSE Generate is our dedicated department for helping students who are thinking of starting their own business. We can help you at any point in this process: whether you’ve just thought of something or if you’ve got some traction and have some buzz already. Email generate@lse.ac.uk and see how we can help you out.
9. Summer camps
Working in summer camps can be immensely rewarding. Doing this will give you experience working with children, and you will also gain a range of interpersonal and developmental skills.
These camps run around the world, so they can also be a great way to go abroad and have some fun, as well as gaining essential work experience. Check camps like PGL or Camp Beaumont for more local locations, but also have a look at places like Camp America or Bunac for outside the UK.
10. Event stewarding
Event stewarding is amazing for all kinds of experiences. This can be a good way to gain more skills, but you’ll also get to go to the event that you steward without the cost. In the case of the many festivals that happen around summer, it can mean a free ticket for a whole weekend that could save you a lot of money.
Stewarding gives you great experience of working in a team and dealing with difficult situations and is also a good opportunity to build on your assertiveness skills. There are several specialist websites for these jobs, such as e4s and Showsec, but you can also find these jobs on more general sites like Indeed.
