<p>I posted this in other sub-forums on college confidential, but have yet to receive an answer. I know most of you parents are probably much older, but maybe you have children who are going through the same process or maybe some of you are recruiters who look through job applications and can tell me something. So your perspective might help me decide what to do next.</p>
<p>So I'm a junior in college deciding what I should do for summer before my senior year. Here are my options:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Take summer courses to possibly tack on a minor in the public health field: epidemiology, health services, etc.-I see this as a way to possibly get into a public health company or career by having this minor</p></li>
<li><p>Apply for an internship (I have not yet secured one)-I'm looking at business and entertainment ones</p></li>
<li><p>Look for a summer job (possibly retail)-I hear that people say work experience is all that matters</p></li>
<li><p>Take classes at a community college to give an extra boost to my overall gpa-I also hear that gpa plays a role also in internships and jobs</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Now I'm asking this to see what is the practical, economic side of this. I'm looking for the best return for me in my future monetary prospects, not what I want to do for the summer. Can someone possibly rank what is logical for me to do now, because I'm having trouble trying to decide what's the best option for me.</p>
<p>I also wanted to ask if it matters when you get an internship. My reason being is that I wanted to know if I could apply for an internship after I graduate from college, because most of the internships for my college are based in the same city, and many of the internships are not close to home.</p>
<p>Some other information about me is that I'm a social science major, and my gpa is around 3.3-3.4</p>
<p>I have also don't have any work experience, but I do/have done a lot of community service in the past. Is this good to include in my resume?</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, you can ask or pm me. I really wish I had an adviser or mentor to ask career questions, but this is the best I have. If I can consult with anyone personally about my prospects, just pm me. Thanks for reading.</p>
<p>I’m assuming that you’ll be looking for a job next year – in something related to “social science”. If not, as in the case that you would be applying to grad school, then the recommendation of what you should/could do would be different.</p>
<p>What matters most I think is for you to begin building a resume that will help in your job search. A job in “retail” is unlikely to help much, but it would be better that doing nothing. Taking courses at your local CC also is not convincing. I’m assuming that your college is of a higher standard, and doing that would just confuse someone interviewing you for a position.</p>
<p>So that leaves two options: (1) a job/internship in your likely future career, or (2) additional courses in your likely future career. Of these, the job internship, especially if it’s directly relevant to what you want to be doing 2-3 years from now will be of the highest benefit to your resume. It will also make you a more interesting candidate when you interview for a full time job than someone who has had no work experience.</p>
<p>Since paying summer jobs may be scarce, consider a full time volunteering position. Or, look into a research project at your school that needs an assistant (possibly with low or zero pay). If you can find a position (with pay or volunteering) work full time. Get to know the people, and work hard!</p>
<p>I suggest trying to get an internship this summer. It’ll give you direct experience in your field, allow you to have recent relevant experience to put on your resume once you start seeking a job, let you see what it’s like to work at a job, and perhaps start to help you understand which areas you might, or specifically might not, want to be employed in when you graduate. I think it’d be more useful than focusing on a minor at this time or taking additional courses. If you can get a paid internship, so much the better. After your senior year is complete you’ll probably want a regular job (or go off to grad school) rather than an internship unless you have a lot of difficulty finding a job.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in getting an internship you probably need to start looking for a position now. See what companies are offering at your college if they recruit on campus there and also check out the websites of various companies, organizations, and governmental agencies to see what internship opportunities there might be.</p>
<p>Do include your community service on your resume when seeking the internship. Emphasize any of it that required you to work with people, deal with people, take any leadership positions, etc.</p>
<p>Regarding the GPA - you GPA is already good. Keep in mind that some colleges don’t accept the grades from a CC to enter into the GPA calculation so if this is your plan check with your college first so you don’t waste time. It’s also not guaranteed that you’d get a higher grade at the CC than your college.</p>