This Winter Break Go For The Gold!

Simply Admissions’ career coach, Anne Shields, is guest blogging this month. While these recommendations are meant for current college students, it’s likely that high school students will find them helpful as well!

Do you strive for excellence? Cross all the Ts and dot all the Is? Would you settle for an “OK” performance? How about a “not bad?” No chance of that happening, right? If you have the rubric, you’ll check all the boxes for your best possible outcome.

All students treasure the downtime of winter break, and for good reasons. It is a time to sleep in, celebrate holidays with family, and hand out with friends. Nice, but pretty typical. If this is all you do, you’ll get an “average” outcome for your break from college.

But you aren’t a “bronze” medal kind of person. This December, consider investing some time in yourself, move beyond the crowd. Here’s the rubric to get you at a silver or gold medal. Show us what you’ve got!

Do all of these for silver medal:

__ Read for fun

__ Brainstorm summer experiences, work, or internships and come up with three viable options

__ Talk to three people about their work and how they picked their career field

__ Thank anyone who has provided any kind of recommendation for you this year

Don’t stop now! Do five more for the gold medal!

__ Make the world a bit better (walk a neighbor’s dog, pick up some trash, smile at a stranger, do

something to pay it forward)

__ Spend thirty minutes working on an unfamiliar computer skill

__ Research two fellowships/scholarships

__ Create or update your resume for a summer internship or part time job

__ Watch three YouTube videos on interviewing skills

__ Attend a local alumni event

__ Practice interviewing with a friend or family member

__ Apply to three summer experiences (jobs, academic programs, internships)

__ Create or update your LinkedIn profile

__ Talk to at least 2 more people about their work and how they picked their career field

Invest in yourself, you are worth it!