Correction: This report has been changed to reflect that career counseling is available during the summer.
After a stressful and eventful academic year, it’s understandable if you forgot to apply to summer internships and jobs months ago.
Before you start panicking, thinking you ruined your summer, and that you’re going to fall behind, let me tell you: It’s not too late for a summer opportunity, regardless of what you’ve heard.
If you pursue an internship or job this summer – whether specifically for your major, fun or the Benjamins – you are doing a great service to yourself. Job and volunteer experience is what sets you apart from others and makes your resume more colorful.
There are still many opportunities out there. A great place to look would be Huskies Get Hired.
“Full-time roles coming in daily, so students can definitely get into Huskies Get Hired to see what opportunities are still in there, whether it’s a full-time, part-time internship, job shadow, on-campus jobs,” said Assistant Director of Employer Engagement with NIU Career Services Steph Horgan.
However, if you’re not able to find a job or internship through Huskies Get Hired but still want to stay on top of your employment game, NIU Career Services has created a Huskie Summer Road Trip plan for students. Essentially, there are three paths students can take this summer.
- Gain experience through Forage Job Simulations:
Forage is an online program that is free for NIU students that exposes them to short self-paced job simulations so they may build experience.
If students finish the job simulation, they earn a certificate that is great for resumes and LinkedIn. These simulations are done with real companies and catered to students’ majors.
- Build a plan with Huskie Career Launchpad:
Students can report work-experience to earn badges for their skills/talents to build a portfolio, which can give them access to graduation cords or exclusive career events.
With these badges, students can use them on LinkedIn profiles and resumes. This is a great resource to use if students must work jobs non-related to their major but still want to build up a competitive resume.
- Explore a path with virtual Career Counseling:
If students are feeling stuck and unsure of what to do next, they can speak with a counselor to receive guidance and the best advice on what to do next to be successful in their career. These counselors can also assist you with Forage if it gets too overwhelming. Important to note: Career counseling will be available during the summer.
“These are just three quick things that you could do to start to continue thinking about your career readiness,” Horgan said.
Additionally, if you want to go ahead and plan for next year, Horgan said, “recruiters start looking to fill their roles by mid-September, mid-October, so recruiting season is pretty heavy there.”
In fact, NIU hosts career fairs during the fall. Take advantage of them and attend those if you want to secure a summer or fall internship for the next year. If you got a late start this year, get a head start for the next!
