Summer on my Mind
In which Greta figures out her summer plans with help from the Career Center.
In which Greta figures out her summer plans with help from the Career Center.
Hi there!
Welcome back to my musings about our uncertain world… But this week, at least, I have some good news: I’ve figured out (mostly) what I’m doing this summer! I’ll be working at American Flatbread, a pizza restaurant and community fixture in my small college town of Middlebury, Vermont. (Think Northfield but on the east coast.) I’m so relieved.
This will be my third summer at Flatbread; my first shift there was almost exactly two years ago. I thought my last was over winter break, that this summer I’d move on and be a counselor at a summer camp, but you know what they say about plans. This whole experience shows that even working a job I’d applied to and gotten is not set in stone.
So given everything, I’m grateful to be going back to a restaurant I know and love. And it certainly won’t be the same as the last two summers! I’ll be learning how to follow Vermont’s COVID regulations to make our kitchen and curbside take-out as safe as possible.
Helping me throughout this whole experience was Carleton’s Career Center. They offer counseling sessions with staff and Student Career Assistants (SCAs), even throughout all this. Yesterday, I had a half-hour Zoom meeting with a SCA where we talked through my job decisions and other opportunities to keep in mind, for this summer and for the future. Here are a few we discussed:
- Remote internships! I’ve already applied for one, so there’s a possibility I could do that part-time while still working at Flatbread. To find more options, she suggested a few platforms: the Tunnel, Carleton’s one-stop shop for job searches, and LinkedIn, which I definitely should make an account on soon.
- Networking, networking, networking. Carleton has both an alumni directory and a networking search where you can find Carls with interests you share and careers you might want. My SCA suggested reaching out to a few if I feel like it, to make connections and possibly secure a micro-internship: a mini project which would give me a taste of a field I’m interested in. I’ll definitely check it out if I find myself with free time this summer!
- Summer classes. Apparently a bunch of schools are offering FREE remote classes this summer, which is super cool! I know people who are taking classes in social media marketing or graphic design—fun, useful skills that you might not get in a formal class at Carleton. I may look into online creative writing classes, and at the very least, I’m starting a writing group on Zoom with friends from all over. Email me if you want to join! I’m serious!
And perhaps the most useful bit of advice my SCA gave me was this: I have time. As a first-year, I don’t have to do anything revolutionary this summer, especially in this climate. Future employers are going to understand.
These words soothed my anxiety about going into the job market after Carleton — something that was already scary, but right now especially so. I just have to keep saying to myself, and to all of you out there reading this: you have time. It will, eventually, be okay.
Greta is a proud Vermonter who nevertheless wishes she could be at Carleton instead of sheltering in place. She’s making it through the pandemic by writing constantly, playing piano, and spending time outdoors. Then eating lots of ice cream. She wants to learn everything, but is particularly interested in Sociology/Anthropology, American Studies and, of course, English. Meet the other bloggers!