Planning Your Summer

Posted in Announcements COVID-19 News

If your summer plans are disrupted or unclear, this information will help you to explore alternatives and create your own experiences. 

As you work on your plan, keep in mind: 

  • You can mix and match options below. Experiment to find what works for you.
  • Be ready for slow responses from prospective employers. 
  • Be flexible and proactive. This will help you reorient yourself and create or re-create opportunities for growth. 
  • All of the ideas below can be pursued after you finish finals.

Cawley staff are available (Drop-ins on Zoom Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1 to 3 p.m., or scheduled in advance on Handshake) to discuss your individual circumstances and to help you plan your career strategy.

How do I get started if I’m seeking remote work?

  • Browse Handshake and other job search sites using keywords like virtual or remote in the fields you’re interested in.
  • Check out these sites to find various paid, remote opportunities: FlexJobs (has a subscription fee, but popular and reputable in the world of remote jobs), Jobspressso, Remote.co, We Work Remotely, Working Nomads, and this Google search for remote jobs. Example roles include tutoring, data entry, customer service, writer, and many more.
  • Search for remote micro-internships (short-term, paid professional assignments) on Parker Dewey.
  • Search for additional opportunities through upstart student or employer matching upstarts like Intern from Home, which was started by students at Brown University.
  • Generation Do connects talent with internship and volunteer opportunities working on real-world problems.
  • Search for freelance projects or temporary work in fields like copywriting/editing, content creation, design, tech, marketing/social media marketing, development, customer support and more. Check out sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and GURU to see examples and put your name out there. 

What are other ways I can gain experience?

Volunteer

Self-study

  • Sign up for Georgetown’s co-lab program this summer to learn a new skill with a community of Hoyas.  
  • Enroll in online courses on Coursera, EdX or Udemy. Here’s a list of free courses offered by Ivy League schools.
  • LinkedIn Learning offers free courses for Georgetown students and “learning paths” in a wide variety of creative, business and tech areas.
  • Learn a new language or advance your level. Mango may be available for free from your local public library.
  • Take a course online at Georgetown, a local community college, or four-year university. 
  • Set up a study plan to define your goals, track progress and stay accountable. A good framework to use is SMART goals.
  • Buddy up — schedule virtual study sessions with friends.

Independent projects

  • Get a head start on your senior thesis or other research project.
  • Reach out to professors teaching your fall courses to ask what reading you can get started on over the summer.
  • Consider computer programming/web/app development projects.
  • Create an independent, low-budget arts/music/film/design project or vlog.
  • Start a writing project or blog on a topic about which you are passionate.
  • Create and polish your portfolio.

I’m currently seeking an internship or job. How do I level up my search?

  • Keep track of sites such as Candor, Github, and is my internship cancelled to get the crowd-sourced scoop on the status of internships.
  • Update your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles as well as your resume.  See our resume and cover letter guides for tips and inspiration.
  • Practice for virtual interviews by scheduling a mock interview, reviewing our interview tips, or practicing on your own using Big Interview (sign up with your Georgetown email address).
  • Reach out to contacts at organizations you admire to ask about opportunities or remind them that you’ve recently applied. Contact information for recruiters can sometimes be found by doing an employer search on Handshake, and contact information for Georgetown alums can be found via LinkedIn or Hoya Gateway. Check out our Networking Guide for tips. 
  • Keep track of your outreach efforts. Create a table or spreadsheet of organizations that interest you with alumni and/or employer contact information. Airtable is great for this.
  • Think about where you have previously worked or volunteered in the location you plan to be this summer. Contact them to see if they have summer job openings.

How do I explore the types of careers and fields that fit me?

  • Cawley is offering a variety of fantastic seminars, panels, and courses this summer to help you explore from home! Sign up and mark your calendar.  
  • Visit Vault to get an insider’s perspective on various industries, what it takes to break in and how to advance your career. 
  • Search for alumni career paths on LinkedIn or Hoya Gateway, a database of Georgetown alumni, by industry, skill, passion, location, and more.
  • Make an appointment on Handshake to explore with a Cawley staff member. Industry advising appointments help you explore a particular field, like technology or education. Career exploration appointments help you explore broadly if you’re just getting started (or restarted!).

What should I do if I’m interested in applying to graduate school?

  • Learn more about universities that interest you. Visit or inquire about virtual tours and information sessions.
  • Consider taking an online GMAT, MCAT, GRE or LSAT prep course.
  • Check out our Graduate school guides for tips on searching and applying.
  • Research or ask about career outcomes, alumni stories, and career development support associated with the programs you’re considering.

Many thanks to Cawley staff’s industry newsletters and Princeton’s Career Center for providing much of this content.