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How New College Grads Can Make Summer Productive

Congratulations, 2021 graduates! It has been an interesting year with unexpected twists, turns, and so much online learning. If you already have a full-time job lined up after graduation, you’re lucky to transition directly to a steady salary and benefits; you won’t join the half of your peers who will be unemployed or underemployed. But your good fortune doesn’t mean you should put off nurturing your career until your first day of work. You can use this summer to make yourself a more desirable, more competitive, and more promotable employee come autumn.

How to polish your professionalism this summer:

Make over your social media profiles.Your carefree college (OK, maybe not in the year of COVID) days are behind you now. So if you didn’t already clean up your social profiles for your job search, now is the time. Carefully review your social profiles (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok…) for photos that don’t say “I’m a respectable professional.” Delete suspect photos or set them to “private,” and think twice before you add new colleagues or your boss. After cleaning up your existing profiles, set up profiles on professional networks like LinkedIn, and begin building that critical online network.
You may not realize the amount of networking you did in your Greek organization, campus clubs, or conferences with professors or peers. This is a great start to even more networking! Use the summer to check in with your existing network—college professors, past employers, coworkers, and friends—and give them an update on what city and company you’re heading for. Reach out to potential new connections in your industry.
Research your industry’s trends.You can catch up on trends from your professional network, and you can also research trends online. Track industry-related articles through Inoreader, Newsblur, or Feedly; just select relevant websites and follow the RSS feeds all in one place.
Start your new routine now.When you report to work at 8 a.m. sharp—even if it’s reporting from home—you won’t be able to party until morning or sleep until noon. Use the summer to transition to the sleep, nutrition, and exercise habits you want to carry into your career. Settling into your new routine early will mean one less thing to worry about.

The workforce is on its way to normal, and this summer will pass before you know it! By planning ahead to make your summer productive as a new professional, you’ll bring your A-game to work this fall. Good luck, graduates!

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