Careers blog written by Cara Close, Graduate Intern – Student Engagement  & Communications, Careers

With exams (almost) over and summer holidays just around the corner, it’s all too easy to forget about responsibilities for a while and let the months breeze by.

However, you will thank your past self at your graduation by using this free time to be productive. Summer is a great time to get work experience in the career you are interested in, and has too many benefits to pass up on.

Many students reach graduation lacking the experience and understanding they need to get that all important grad job. Here are a few points to mull over if you are still on the fence.

Understand your options

Spending some time working in any sector is invaluable in that it can help you understand what you want to do for your career. Whether the experience is good or bad, it narrows down the search for after you graduate, and you will have a better understanding of what environment you want to work in, and what your day-to-day routine might look like.

Getting experience

All experience is good experience! Having a better understanding of the workplace and how things operate will look fantastic on your CV, and will make you the preferred candidate if you can show what you learnt from your experiences. As an even better incentive, if you perform well in your internship, the company will be more likely to hire you after you graduate.

Get paid

Most internships, whether full-time or part-time, will pay. Need I say more?

Make contacts

Spending time with people who work different roles within the company, or with partner organisations, helps you build a network of professional and personal contacts. Networking is a huge factor in building a career, and you can use these people for advice or references when looking for a job, or also as potential new employers.

Learn new skills

Time spent in any sector will help you build the skills needed for a workplace. Developing those skills before you graduate will make you more attractive to employers, and also help you perform better when you start your first job.

It’s not too late to apply!

Attending the Recruitment Fair on the 12th June is the perfect opportunity to browse lots of keen employers from a range of sectors looking for everything from summer interns to graduate employees. Have a chat with the organisations coming along and you might find something just right for you!