It’s always nice (and also a little weird) coming back from a break.This was the first winter break in a while where I didn’t have any homework. I flew back from Minnesota a couple days before the start of classes and was happy to experience a huge temperature jump from -26 Fahrenheit (with wind chill) to about 81. That one hundred and five degree increase makes this feel like the real vacation in some ways!
The first day of classes wasn’t too long ago, and things are already gearing up. Though the semester is only just starting, it’s already that time to start thinking about summer jobs and internships.
The past two summers I have worked part-time at a flower shop. This summer, I am hoping to do something a little different. Not that I don’t like my current job, but if I don’t do something more full-time, I may go crazy from the excess free time.
As a first year looking for potential opportunities, it’s hard to know where to start. I know what I’m studying in school (Foreign Languages), but I’m not sure what I want to do after that. This makes it harder to start a ‘track,’ so to speak, to a certain career path.
So, when I am thinking of jobs or internships, I’m looking at a few different areas of interest. Languages, translation, and interpreting are definitely on my mind, but that’s not all. I’m also looking into public relations positions as well as copy editing.
Though I may not necessarily go into PR or editing, they both seem like interesting fields to start exploring, whether or not they are directly related to foreign languages. Other possible avenues could be internships abroad, but maybe not for this summer. I’d be interested in looking into that more in the future.
Another thing that I’m exploring is location. My hometown isn’t too far from a metro area (Minneapolis/St. Paul is only about an hour and a half away). I have family and friends in the area as well, which means I would likely be able to find housing.
Looking outside home brings a lot more possibilities, though it means being far from my parents, sister, and some of my friends. Even so, I think it’s exciting to think about exploring new opportunities and to learn about being independent, especially following year one of college.
No matter what happens in the summer job search, I know I’ll have a place at the flower department, and I could always pick up more hours in other departments or get a second job too. Nothing is set in stone yet, so I’m glad that I have some time yet to think about my plans and work them out.
Welcome back, everyone!