Make your summer productive

Summer holidays are in the offing and students are looking to unwind and are making plans accordingly. But some industrious individuals have decided to roll up their sleeves and make their summer a productive one. Whether it is a small organization, a marketing company or an IT firm, students are scouting for jobs that will add to their credentials. Young Hans spoke to a few who believe in investing their free time to add some feathers to their caps and why they think summer jobs can help you test the waters before you take the plunge.

Neetha

I did my graduation in International Relations to get a better grounding in Social Sciences. I’ve taken up a part-time job with a newspaper to get a clear understanding of what I would like to do eventually. When you visit an office, you get to understand the work culture of an organisation. It gives you an idea whether you’re meant to be in a conventional career where you will be required to work in an organisational set-up. If not, you can explore options of working independently such as freelancing, set up an enterprise or other such things where you can be your own boss.

Rithika

It’s important that you feel passionate about the work you do or the profession you choose. At times once you’re in the profession, you may not find it as exciting as you did in the beginning. These summer jobs give you an opportunity to experience the job for a short period before you move on to a full-time job. For example, you may see yourself working in the marketing sector, but you may not have a sustained interest in it. Field work might give you a clearer picture and let you decide for yourself whether you are really keen on working in this area.

Rakesh

If you’re in the final year of college, then taking up a summer job would be immensely helpful in making productive use of this vacation. The interesting part about a summer-job is that you could work across a number of industries if you have diverse interests, during your studies, helping you choose what is right for you. It can be useful in helping an individual decide their career path, as a lot of people realise their passion much later. It also helps you execute what you learn during college. I am keen on both fashion design and product design, so I will choose both to get exposure and experience and then decide on taking up what interests me more.

Shruti

It goes without saying that listing any kind of work experience on your resume improves your prospects while applying for jobs or even scholarships for that matter. In 20’s, an internship or part-time job is likely to be your only credible proof of having some work experience. The stamp of having worked for a particular organisation certainly gives an impression that you have spent your summer doing something productive. While you may not be given a bigger role at work, you will certainly gain an understanding of how things function in a particular industry and get practical exposure rather than rely on second-hand information.

Vandana

BPO organisations are the easiest to land for youngsters seeking a job, it would support us financially, but we would not gain any subject knowledge out of it, so mostly we prefer jobs related to our field of study. Most of them think about making those quick bucks while taking up summer jobs, but these are jobs which may not add any credentials to our resume. On the other hand, when you opt for a part-time job at an organisation which is of your interest, you not only gain exposure in the field, but also make contacts that may help you land a job, rather than forcing you to start from scratch.

Sana

These part-time jobs help us choose a career path. Many of us are planning to go abroad for higher studies; it gives us a sense of the work as we choose companies pertaining to our subject. It enhances our skills while we are on the job and also be assured to opt for the same stream when we move abroad. I am currently studying B-Pharmacy and I would like to choose the same subjects when I apply for a college abroad, so working in these research labs before I make the big move to leave the country helps me understand my subject better and the kind of work involved.

Harini

Summer jobs can be useful in gauging your skills. I want to pursue MBA in HR, so this summer I plan to take up a job at a consultancy in the city to check on my people management skills and if I’m able to assess the candidate against a list of key skills and personal characteristics needed for the job. It will help me get an understanding of the job role. I would have the employer guide and assess me based on which I’ll take my plans of pursuing MBA.

Neeraj

My college has made it mandatory to take up a part-time job or an internship before heading to the final year. It is a compulsory constituent of their curriculum which includes some of the courses in B.com. During my internship with Hyundai Motors, I was apprised on how vehicles are booked upto the final stage when they’re delivered to the customer. We also have to exhibit customer service skills while selling our product. At college we’re taught concepts such as marketing, accounts, service and sales so it helped me in deciding upon my Master’s degree.

By:Navatha Y