It can be tempting to sit at home during the Easter vacation; feasting on chocolate and relaxing. However, Easter is an opportune time to pursue – or prepare for – Internships, Volunteering, or additional work experience like Insight days and Work Shadowing. These are great ways to gain valuable experience that could contribute to your CV, as well as enhancement of employability skills.
Internships
Internships provide opportunities for students to work within organisations, usually lasting 4-12 weeks. Internships help develop knowledge of a sector, enable development of transferable skills, and are a fantastic chance to build networks. The University’s Excel Internship Programme offers a host of paid opportunities exclusive to Southampton students. To see summer Excel Internships, go to: https://mycareer.soton.ac.uk/
Volunteering
Volunteering is another way to develop skills employers value as well as contributing to the community. The Volunteering Bank, run by the Careers Service has some interesting, regular volunteering opportunities including leading a crime fiction reading group at the Winchester Discovery centre, volunteering at Winchester prison to help make the visiting experience positive for children and families and various roles with SS Sheildhall, a historic steamship in Southampton Water.
To find out more about Volunteering Bank roles, go to https://mycareer.soton.ac.uk/
Work Shadowing/Insight days
Work Shadowing and Insight Days present ways of gaining an understanding of how certain jobs/sectors work on a day-to-day basis. This can be great for boosting skills like commercial awareness, and capturing a work network. If you are keen to see how a certain job is carried out, consider attending an Insight Day, or approaching companies to see if they may accommodate work shadowing.
Easter is a fantastic time to pursue work experience – who knows where it could lead?