Professional Development (Without an Internship!)

For many college students, summer is the time to start a new internship or job. It’s a perfect way to transform all your knowledge from those busy college semesters into meaningful work. What if you don’t have an internship though? How can you still put your time into something meaningful? The good news is you can still contribute to your professional development without an internship. Whether you are just getting acquainted with your professional journey or are already a couple years in, these tips are valuable and relevant for just about anyone. First, let’s talk about leveraging your resources. With so many platforms available to learn new skills, you can learn just about anything that will help you gain some exposure to things you will encounter in your career. LinkedIn is a great resource with tons of free courses from topics like excel to business development. You can learn a ton and add many of these skills to your resume. LinkedIn is also a great way to learn about your industry and build your network. The summer is a great time to start making connections, and an even better time to seek a mentor. If you don’t already have a mentor or are looking for one, you can spend your time learning new things from your mentor to help you prepare for the upcoming recruiting seasons. Aside from platforms, side hustles can be a great way to not only learn new skills that you might not learn in school, but it’s a great way to pursue a passion. The digital era has helped many people find a voice through these side hustles, and college is the best time to start. You never know where it could take you! Finally, spend the summer investing in YOU. With or without an internship, you can really learn anything you want to. One of my favorite quotes is “do something today that your future self will thank you for.” Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have an internship – the actions you take to better yourself in the present and future will make the world of a difference and will bring you one step closer to achieving your goals.

Ghazal Amin- UCONN Women in Business