Spring Break Career To-Dos

10 Career-Related Things to Accomplish Over Break

Tuesday, September 27, 2016 | Anonymous

When you’re all done relaxing and recharging this break, tackling some (or all) the items on this list is bound to help you get ahead of the game for your job search. 

1. Work on your resume. No, it’s less fun than waiting for the marshmallows to melt in your hot chocolate, but if you can get over this hurdle you’re doing your future self a huge favor. 

2. Update your LinkedIn Profile. Sometimes the best way to get noticed is a passive one. Update your LinkedIn profile with your most current activities and work experiences. Make sure to incorporate popular words in your industry so that your profile shows up in relevant searches more often.

3. Set up some Careers4Terps search agents. Did you know you can set up searches in Careers4Terps that will automatically alert you whenever a new relevant job is posted? Set them up now and they’ll do the work for you later.

4. Add career events to your calendar. It’s hard to add events last minute when you’ve already committed to dozens of other things. Move your future to a higher notch on the priority list by checking our calendar early so that they aren’t competing with life’s other events later.

5. Research the industries you’re interested in. We pay for Vault (accessible through Careers4Terps) so that you don’t have to. Check out the information Vault compiles on industries you and future Terps will be working in. 

6. Practice interviewing. InterviewStream allows you to practice interviewing from the comfort of your own home. Try it out on a day you’d rather stay in.

7. Follow industry leaders on social media. Find industry professionals with a lot of insight and follow them (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all great places to start). See what it’s like and, if you’re comfortable, reach out to them to learn more.

8. Find a mentor. UMD Alumni love to give back in meaningful ways. Log into the UMD Alumni Advisors Network to find mentors in your fields of interest and expand your network with meaningful connections.

9. Talk to friends and family about your plans. It isn’t always the most fun thing to answer over dinner, but it’s much different if you start the conversation. Make sure people know your professional intentions and interests. You never know who could help you in the future.

10. Read news on your industry. Stay current on developments in the fields you might work in one day. Understanding how the field relates to the grand scheme of things and how things are changing will put you in a better position in interviews and job searches down the road.

Happy Holidays, #TerpNation!