Hello! It’s my first time back in quite a while here, so some updated background:
I am currently a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish. Like a lot of people here, I took a lot of AP classes in high school, and as a result, I can graduate a semester early. I was kind of bummed out about this at first, because it means that I will have to miss out on a lot of fun stuff that goes on during senior year, but given that my family is full pay at WashU, saving 35k is a pretty compelling argument.
However, instead of simply trying to jump into the workforce in January/February vs. July/August, I thought that this was a very unique time in my life, where I will have no commitments, a lot of time, and also access to some money (I suspect that, as long as I have a good plan, my parents will allow me to access some of the 35k I would be saving to do something fun). Most of the information out there about this topic usually seems tailored to people planning on going to med school or grad school. As of right now, I am trying to pursue a career in consulting, and am aiming to (hopefully!) have a job before I graduate, so doing something relevant to my future career goals, or that will look good on a resume, or will tell a cohesive story about me is not necessary. I’m really just looking for something fun and different.
Any suggestions for programs that allow recently graduated college students to participate, are ok with a short-term commitment, and also seem to provide a really unique experience would be much appreciated! So far, the only one I’ve really found that fits the bill is Disney College Program (which gets rather mixed reviews, and is pretty competitive). I’m also considering potentially traveling during that time, or pursuing one of my hobbies in more depth, but if anyone here has heard of any structured programs I could research, that would be very helpful!
Young friend had a consultant position lined up, plus generous money to resettle snd then have loads of fun before starting. Or the reverse order. Get the job, then decide.
Agree, you are jumping the gun. First get a job, then see what the latest start date available is, and THEN figure out what to do with any down time before work starts.
The easiest way to get a job is via the Career office at College…find out when interviews are for your major. Sometimes they are in the fall so check now. Apply to various companies. If you get a job, then ask when the latest start date is.
Also keep in mind that if you start before July, you get a week of vacation that first year.
Your timing would be perfect to go work at a ski resort for the winter. I work part-time at a Tahoe resort, and there are many people just like you who take a “gap winter” or two before work or grad school. You can work on the mountain, in a hotel or restaurant, etc. Most jobs include a season pass so you can ski/ride for free (and it’s fine if you’ve never done it before). Here’s the employment page for my area as an example: http://squawalpine.com/other/employment. You’ll find the same thing at all major ski areas.
The pay isn’t great, but everyone I’ve known who has done this has thoroughly enjoyed it.
Haha, it’s been 2 years, but CC is still good for a reality check! The foremost, primary objective is certainly getting a job, and that is what I am most concerned with, and I am taking steps to make that happen (networking, interview prep, resume polishing, continuous engagement with the career center, etc.).
However, if there are any programs that would take place between January and June-ish, I definitely would like to know so I can research them, and also get a general idea of what a timeline might look like for me. (e.g. for Disney, I would need to apply in late August/early September, and then if I needed to, I could always back out later in the process).
I’m also hoping that learning about some programs will help in giving me some peace of mind and something to look forward to in graduating early. And of course, in the event that I don’t manage to secure a job offer, I would seriously pursue professional development activities during this time while simultaneously job hunting (any information on professional development-related classes or programs would also be welcome!)
I think you need to learn more about the Disney, what it really is and whether kids like it.
It surprises me that you want a consulting career, but are considering that particular program. I’d think you can find something more empowering, a better experience for your early resume.
Depending on the type of consulting you hope for, even an internship could serve well. You say the gap doesn’t need to be career related, but at this point, that is important (and for consulting.) I get the desire to have some fun, but until you get that first real job, you need to be wise.
It could be different, if you had a different career idea.
I totally agree with you about Disney @lookingforward! That’s a large part of the reason that I’m on here looking for other options - I do have some rather serious reservations about the Disney College Program, and am in the preliminary stages of my search.
Internships would be preferred to something like DCP, but I’ve found that a lot of internships require that the intern be a current student. I would also imagine that, as most internships are designed to locate and train someone for an eventual full-time position, I, as someone who will hopefully already have an employment commitment, would be a rather unappealing candidate.
For consulting, I completely agree that having a strong resume is critical in securing a job offer, however, in the situation I’m describing, I would already have been hired, but simply would not have started yet. I think a lot of people are focusing on the aspect of me getting a job, which is far and away the more important piece of this, but I already have a pretty good idea of what I will need to do in order to get a job offer, so while I am definitely open to advice on that front, it wasn’t intended to be the main focus of this post.