Making the Most of Your Winter Break

Winter Break is an important time to relax, enjoy time with friends and family back home, and maybe not think about school for a minute. However, some of you may be feeling some career-related stress or anxiety - perhaps you’re looking for a job or internship; or you’re feeling uncertain about what you want do in the future. The break from the rigor of the academic quarter system can provide a little space to make progress towards your career goals.

Here are my tips for making the most of your time off this Winter Break:

• Build your Brand: Take this time to work on your professional portfolio.

  • Update your resume & get it reviewed. Then get it reviewed again. Then one more time.

  • Take your LinkedIn profile to the next level.

  • Get 360 degree feedback. Reach out to 3 people you know and trust and ask them to identify your key strengths. See if this aligns with how you see yourself.

  • Create a website or portfolio that demonstrates your work.

• Explore Career Possibilities

  • Do Informational Interviews. These are 15-60 minute chats with people in positions you could be interested in. Be curious and ask them about their daily life, skills they need to excel in their role, how someone in college can prepare for a career in their area, etc.

  • Use LinkedIn Alumni Search Tool to explore different career paths with your major.

  • Research companies that align with your values, desired location, career goals.

• Build a New Skill. Depending on your industry, there are tons of options for getting certified in a new technical skill. If you aren’t sure which skill would be best, take a look at some jobs you might apply for after graduating and see what technical skills are listed on those job descriptions. Here are some ideas:

  • Tableau Certification

  • Microsoft Power (BI) Certification through Udemy or LinkedIn Learning

  • Social Media Marketing through Coursera

  • Excel/Java/Python/R

  • Illustrator or Indesign

• Give Back to your Community

  • Volunteer Match or Idealist

  • Call your local Food Bank

  • Look up organizations that serve causes you are most passionate about

At the end of the day, what’s most important about breaks is taking the time to do the things you love, even if it isn’t directly related to your career pursuits. Getting in touch with who you are and what you like is always a worthy endeavor. If you want to chat more about making the most of your time off, email ocobcareers@calpoly.edu or book an appointment at calendly.com/ocobcareers.

-Mallory