Making the most of the summer months

By Emily Milic

It’s that time of year when you may be looking for a way to make the most of your summer break. Whether it’s taking an extra course, doing a co-op placement or internship, or working to earn some extra money, summer is a great time to gain experience, make connections and add to your resume.

Many college programs offer co-op, internship and work placement opportunities as part of the curriculum. While many of these placements must be completed during the fall or winter semesters, they may lead to summer employment opportunities. For example, Seneca’s Social Service Worker – Gerontology program has field work as a part of the curriculum in three of the four program semesters. While this gives students great experience, a summer job in the field can bolster your resume even further.

If you are looking for experience in a human or social service agency, some summer student jobs are funded by Human Resources Skills Development Canada. Notice of these positions will often be forwarded to the coordinator of the college program for posting on job boards. Darlene Jean Paes, who has just completed her first year in the Social Service Worker – Gerontology program at Seneca, will start one of these positions at an adult day centre in June.

“I know that having as much experience as possible in the field before graduation will help me start my career on the right foot,” said Darlene. “This is the type of position I hope to start my career with, so I am hoping it will help me hone my skills and learn to better communicate with seniors.”

Seneca also offers summer programming that builds student skills and presents invaluable industry connections and networking opportunities. For example, Seneca’s Gaming Summer Institute ran for the first time in summer 2009. The Institute formed a partnership with Bedlam Entertainment and three students in the Institute helped with the development of the game “Scratch” for PS3 and Xbox. These three students were later hired by the studio full-time.

As the Summer Institute begins its second run, Bedlam Entertainment has approached Seneca about taking on another five to 10 students over the summer months.

Whether it is a summer job in the field, or an internship opportunity, there are a number of ways to spend the summer months, which can be beneficial for you. Take the time to explore your options and make the most of the season ahead.

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