Making the Most of Summer Vacation
For many students there is a sense of excitement when it gets close to summer vacation. There is less structure, more time to enjoy with their family and friends, and they don't have to focus on their academics. Though all important, it is important to also encourage students to take advantage of their time off and actively pick things to do that ultimately benefit their future planning.
1. Create a resume - as students go through their high school career it often goes by so fast and becomes such a blur that when they are expected to recall what they have done and any accomplishments they have achieved they aren't able too. Encourage your student to use Naviance's resume builder, or create a working document that can be edited as they expand their experiences.
2. Get a job - though many students do eventually get a part-time job, in an area that will probably remain simply that, it is important for them to learn life skills and also use their experience to better understand their strengths and interests. For a student who has obtained a job, complete the working permit paperwork and bring the completed documentation to the Guidance office, where it will be typed up for your employer.
3. Explore career paths - there is a lot of time during the summer that may not be planned and may include time to just relax. Thanks to the internet, there are also a lot of great career search engines that simply require a student to put in their interests through basic questionnaires. Once completed your student will be linked to different careers, majors, and colleges.
Contact me if you do not know your username or password
Username: silver
Password: lake
4. Complete an internship or job shadow - even if a student has no idea what they may be interested in, often times that is because they don't have any exposure with different areas of work and study. Typically it is easier for people to figure out what they don't like, and eventually after that list is created, the list of traits/jobs they do like emerge. Take your student to work for a day, or contact a local business to arrange a day for your student to observe a different line of work and gain valuable exposure.
5. Visit colleges - it is never too early to take a college tour, drive through a campus, or view different colleges online. If you happen to be driving by a college, get out, walk around, and take a tour. The more exposure to different locations, campus styles, and environmental differences, will make the process of post-secondary planning easier when the time comes and much less overwhelming.
