Erin Berthon, MA Career Manager, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, at Chapman University

Didn’t get an internship this summer? You’re not alone. While internships are valuable, they’re not the only way to gain experience, build skills, and prepare for your future career. In fact, many students develop meaningful experiences through jobs, volunteering, research, networking, and personal projects that can be just as impactful on a resume.

Use your summer job to work on transferable skills

A summer job can be one of the best ways to gain valuable experience, even if it isn’t directly related to your future career. Whether you’re working in retail, food service, recreation, customer service, or as a camp counselor, you’re developing transferable skills that employers highly value. Each of these part-time jobs offers opportunities to strengthen your communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time-management skills. The best part is that you will also gain leadership experience, learn to handle challenging situations, and develop conflict-resolution skills. These experiences demonstrate responsibility, adaptability, and a strong work ethic, all qualities that can help you stand out when applying for internships, jobs, or graduate programs.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a meaningful way to gain experience and make a positive impact in your community, and it will make you feel good!  Whether you spend your summer supporting a local nonprofit, animal shelter, museum, arts organization, or community event, you’ll develop valuable skills that employers appreciate. Volunteer work looks really good on your resume and LinkedIn.  The best part is that volunteering allows you to explore potential career interests, demonstrate your commitment to a cause, and gain experience that can enhance your resume and future job applications. Sometimes, the connections you make through networking can lead to internships, mentorship opportunities, and even future employment. It is a win- win!

Conduct Informational Interviews

If there is one piece of career advice I could give to every student, it would be to conduct informational interviews. Reaching out to professionals and having conversations about their career journey is one of the most valuable ways to explore your interests, learn about different industries, and build your network. Challenge yourself this summer to connect with three to five professionals working in careers that interest you. Ask them about their career path, what they enjoy about their work, and what advice they have for someone just starting out. Most professionals are happy to share their experiences, and these conversations can provide insights that you simply can’t find online. You can easily do this through LinkedIn by connecting with Chapman alumni who are working in fields that interest you. Alumni often enjoy helping current students and are a great resource for learning more about potential career paths. Informational interviews can also help you build meaningful connections that may lead to future opportunities, mentorship, internships, or job referrals.

Build a Personal Project

One of the best ways to gain experience during the summer is to create your own opportunities through a personal project. This is especially valuable for humanities, arts, and social science students because it allows you to showcase your interests, creativity, and skills in a tangible way. Consider starting a blog, launching a podcast, creating a portfolio website, conducting independent research, writing articles, managing a social media account, or producing a documentary or photo project. Personal projects demonstrate initiative, passion, and self-motivation—qualities employers and graduate schools highly value. They also give you concrete examples of your work that you can discuss during interviews and include on your resume, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio.

Invest in Your Future This Summer

Summer is the perfect time to invest in yourself and your future career goals. Consider updating your resume, creating or enhancing your LinkedIn profile, building a portfolio, practicing your interviewing skills, or developing your elevator pitch. Just as importantly, use this time to reflect on what excites you. Ask yourself: What classes have I enjoyed most? What work environments do I thrive in? What skills do I want to develop? What careers am I curious about? Remember, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. As your Career Advisor, I’m available throughout the summer and would love to help you explore your options, review your materials, or discuss your goals. You can easily schedule a virtual or in-person appointment with me, Erin, through Handshake.

Remember, career development is a journey, not a race. One summer without an internship will not define your future, but what you choose to do with your time can.