Summer is here and it might look different or mean something different to each of you.

Maybe what you really need after an intense year at LSE is some time to recharge, maybe you have ongoing work commitments, are planning to do a summer job (more information about summer jobs here), or are looking forward to an internship or work placement opportunity. Or maybe your plans for the summer are still very much work in progress, and that’s okay! Small steps can go a long way and in this blog post, you’ll find some tips and advice on how to make the most of your summer – whatever stage your summer planning is at.

Here are five steps you can take to expand your experience, explore opportunities and build new skills:

1) Enrol in a virtual work experience

While it may seem like everybody is talking about internships, they are not the only way to get that extra experience. Virtual work experiences offer not only a good opportunity to try out different types of roles and tasks, they can also be fitted flexibly into your own personal schedule. With Forage, you can enrol for free in virtual experience programmes designed by leading companies and find out what skills you enjoy using while tackling real-world problems and scenarios faced by some of the big name companies out there.

2) Arrange a work shadowing opportunity

Work shadowing opportunities are arrangements that allow you to observe the day-to-day work at an organisation. Work shadowing can last from a few hours to several days and typically involves following somebody employed at the organisation around, having conversations with people in the team, or sitting in on selected activities and events. It’s a great opportunity to grow your network and learn more about an organisation that may not have internships or vacancies advertised. Reaching out proactively is usually the best way to create work shadowing opportunities, although some organisations may have a structured application process in place. You can read more about making speculative applications on the LSE Careers website.

3) Brush up on your digital skills

The summer can be a good time to build and expand transferrable skills. Whether you are a complete beginner or wanting to enhance your knowledge, the Digital Skills Lab at LSE offers a range of courses to help you develop your digital skills at your own pace. Are you about to graduate? No worries – there are many free online learning resources that you can easily access after leaving LSE.

4) Grow your network

Though it may sound like a cliché, spending time on having conversations with people who do what you’re interested in doing is one of the best ways to develop your future career. Managing your career isn’t all about applying for jobs. Reaching out to people, building connections and putting yourself in the places where you can hear about that next opportunity are tried and tested steps to not only make doors open but help them appear in the first place. If “networking” sounds nerve-wracking to you (and you wouldn’t be alone here!), then think of it as “being curious about what other people do and asking them lots of questions about it”. Use Ask an Alum and LinkedIn to get started with reaching out, find more advice on growing your network here and check out these helpful informational interview questions.

5) Attend a careers event

Between 19 June and 7 July 2023, LSE Careers is running a packed programme of seminars, events, and workshops on topics like effective job search strategies, LinkedIn, and assessment centre skills. Check out our summer programme ‘Your future. Your way’ and book your place on an event that interests you. Remember that external organisations like the Bright Network are running their own careers events over the summer, offering the chance to explore different sectors and career pathways.

Did you know that LSE Careers is open for appointments all summer? If you’d like to discuss what your summer might look like, create a bespoke plan for your own summer months, or ask questions about how to best plan ahead, come and book a confidential one-to-one careers appointment with one of our Careers Consultants via LSE CareerHub.