Eight Resume-Boosting Experiences for Your Teen This Summer

If your teen complained about being bored last summer, it’s time to reframe the thinking. Summer break is a perfect opportunity to gain experience and better oneself. Here are a few great uses of time that will benefit your teen and strengthen her resume:

1. Get an internship. Internships are one of the best ways for teens to get practical experience and exposure to a real-world professional setting. Though more common in college, many organizations hire high school interns too. Have your teen talk with the guidance counselor to learn about what might be available in your area.
2. In every community, there are all kinds of organizations in need—and these organizations rely on volunteers. This is a perfect way for your teen to get experience and grow as a person. Look to the high school clubs for ideas, but the local nursing home, animal shelter, and community center are also likely to have options.
3. Build skills. Subject-matter knowledge is essential in college, but there are other aptitudes your teen needs for success like communication, speaking, and writing. Contact Huntington about using summer to help your teen build skills like these.
4. Try something totally new. Encourage your teen to get out of his comfort zone and learn something new. Explore academic camps on everything from marketing to programming. Check out a new hobby, instrument, sport or activity.
5. Work on a personal project. If there’s one thing teens have a lot of in summer, it’s time to explore passions. Formal experiences and jobs offer the chance to learn, but your teen can also create her own learning experiences. Create a blog. Do a photography project. Research something. There are many possibilities if your teen gets creative.
6. Learn a language. Your teen might take a foreign language class during the school year, but summer is a good time to do some online learning. Check out Rosetta Stone or Babbel for starters.
7. Take a college class. Your teen might not get excited about the idea of summer school, but college classes will challenge him in new ways. Check out local colleges for high school-specific programs and community colleges that welcome high school students.
8. Prepare for the SAT or ACT. Strong scores on the SAT/ACT make teens more impressive applicants for their colleges of choice—and make them stand out as students. And there’s no better time than summer to take a prep course at Huntington.

Summer is a great chance to relax and recharge after the grind of a busy school year, but for college-bound teens, it’s also an opportunity to learn, grow and build the resume. Encourage your teen to use this break wisely. When the time comes to apply to college, she will be glad she did.

Huntington Learning Center works with high school students every summer who are eager to become better students. We focus on all kinds of academic subjects as well as essential study skills like organization and time management. Contact us to learn more about our learning programs for high school students.