Congratulations! In a little more than a week, you’ll have finished another semester. Whether or not everything went to plan, you deserve to feel proud. With summer right around the corner, be sure to take some time to relax, but also use some of that time to work on your career preparedness. Using a couple of hours here and there to get ready for the fall can set you up for resounding success.

I have already talked a lot about what you can do this summer if you don’t have a job in your preferred field (you can see that post here). If you do have a job or internship, make sure you review the Career Center’s Impressing on the Job guide to make sure you put your best foot forward. Our new service Big Interview also has a guide for your first 90 days at a job. Work hard and spend your time wisely, and you will have a ton to put on your resume by the time August rolls around.

Speaking of resumes, this is a great time to update yours! Look at our resume resources online for ideas on how to add projects and classes you completed this semester to your resume, or come into the Career Center for one-on-one help. Graduating seniors, you can still use our services! The Career Center is completely free to use for six months after your graduation, so take advantage of it while you can and let us help you thrive at your dream job. See more about our alumni services here.

Finally, take a little time to make some professional plans for the fall. My two suggestions: find an on-campus job (you can see my post about available positions here) and make a list of the positions you’d like to apply to for next summer. I know it seems crazy to be thinking about next summer’s internships and jobs when it isn’t even this summer yet, but a lot of companies open and close applications much earlier than you think, and being the first to apply is always a good look!