Career Tips for Winter Break

In addition to visiting with family, celebrating the holidays, and catching up on sleep, the winter break can be a good time work on your job or internship search. While you may see more “out of office” emails and fewer job postings, there are still some things you can do to make progress.

3 Tips for Career Progress Over the Break:

  • Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. During the semester it can be hard to keep your resume up to date with the projects, presentations, and extracurricular activities you were busy working on. Go back and add some details about what you were doing, new things you learned, and don’t forget the accomplishments!
  • Find some new employers. Perhaps you’ve already applied for a job or internship with the bigger, more competitive companies (you know Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc.) but who else is out there? Smaller companies typically recruit closer to when the work will start, so get ready for a new round of recruiting by researching other companies that might offer a valuable opportunity. Not sure how to find companies? Look up your major on Buzzfile and find employers that hire people with that degree.
  • Have a conversation. If you are going home over the break, reach out to a local GW alum to schedule a quick meet up. Rather than asking them for a job reference, use this opportunity to learn more about the industry and recommendations they have for being successful in the workplace. Building a network outside of Washington, DC can open you up to more opportunities. Find GW alumni by joining GW Career Connect or via the GW LinkedIn directory.

Whatever you decide you do over the break regarding your career journey, don’t forget to take time to relax and recharge. The job and internship process requires a lot of energy and dedication, so make sure you get the rest you need to stay motivated.

By Kendra Northington
Kendra Northington Senior Career Counselor