Stay Sharp over the Summer

Summer is the season to relax and enjoy your long-awaited free time. Even if you landed the internship of your dreams or just purchased your plane ticket to Cancun, you should still use these months to fine-tune your reputation as a soon-to-be pro. That way, when the new semester comes, you will be sharper than ever!

Polish you resume and LinkedIn profile.

What have you accomplished this year? Think of the new skills you have obtained, the rewarding experiences you’ve had, and the projects you have done. All of these things should be displayed for prospective employers to see.

The summer season is the time to work on the minute details of your resume and LinkedIn profile. Does your resume look a bit cramped and wordy? Reformatting it can be a tedious process, but it is essential to be a memorable job candidate. Use the extra details from your resume in your LinkedIn job descriptions, instead. Your profile is meant for people to get a more in-depth look at what you have accomplished thus far in your career. Use the summer months to focus on the specifics that will polish off your experiences. Contact a few people that you have worked with and built relationships with to endorse your skills and provide short recommendations for your profile. This kind of support confirms your capabilities and strong performance.

Stay in the know in your industry and career field.

With so many different news outlets, keeping up with the times is simple in the digital age. Stay up-to-date with your industry by following companies and professionals outside of your friends. Become familiar with a few relevant news websites, digital magazines, and  blogs to stay on top of the latest trends. Pay attention to how the public responds to things.

Going to events is a more exciting way to keep up with your industry. Aside from the networking benefits, events and conferences in your career field expose you to new trends, research studies, and knowledge in your industry. Use events as a learning tool to gain feedback from significant industry leaders about the challenges you face and how to handle them.

Having the knowledge and understanding in an evolving business helps you to grow your own expertise and begin to think ahead of the game.

Maintain your network.

Making connections and building relationships is important, especially in PR. How many times have you needed something and called a friend because you knew they had the resources or skills to help you? Upholding professional relationships makes it easier to ask for a favor when needed. This summer, concentrate on maintaining these relationships and make your network worthwhile. Look through your phone to find people you have met and send them a friendly email, just to follow up on any projects they have been working on and how they have been doing. Professionals love young, ambitious individuals who show an interest in what they do. If you’ve taken on a new venture or need help writing something for your internship, contact a professional who would be willing to provide their expertise.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Marlo Brooks.