The hunt for internships to enhance your work experience can be tricky depending on various factors such as the industry or pay, and sometimes students graduate without having acquired one. According to Forbes, about 31% of the Class of 2019 did not participate in an internship. The ongoing pandemic has made it more challenging to find one. While you are searching for internships, there are five things you can do to make you a strong candidate and to add to your resume.

Volunteer

There are many different routes you can take when it comes to volunteering. You could join a group or organization, or you can set up some activities on your own. Volunteering can teach you skills that are transferable such as communication, organization, finance, and maybe even marketing, depending on if you are setting up an event. You can also learn a lot about some companies, and it might help you decide what career path you want to take.

Contribute to an online platform

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, this is one of the best things you can do to build experience. There are many platforms, like The Odyssey Online or Medium, where you can write articles. This not only allows you to strengthen your writing and editing skills, but will produce published work that will look great in a portfolio. Plus, if you promote your work you can learn some marketing skills. You can be interested in any job field to write about different topics.

Earn an online certification

Another way to learn or sharpen your skills is through online certification programs, whether at a price or for free. Some programs are offered through universities and some are offered through companies such as Hootsuite Academy or HubSpot Academy. You can learn from a large range of topics and earn a legitimate certification.

Create a blog or YouTube channel

If you have adequate knowledge about a topic or are looking to provide answers for an audience, creating a blog or channel will help you do that. Just like contributing to an online platform, you will learn and strengthen your skills while also learning how to help an audience in your potential industry. You can also learn social media marketing by promoting your content on various social media platforms. If you are looking to work with companies, you may also find ways to help them during your independent work.

Conduct your own research

Conducting your own research on a topic or problem can help you strengthen your research and analytical skills. Publishing your own work will add to your portfolio and can be attractive to employers, especially if the field you want to go in is research-based or analytical. Through this, you may also find ways to help companies.

These five strategies can help you develop and enhance your skills, thus enhancing your resume. They are all something you can do at home or locally. Plus, participating in one of these strategies shows employers that you are a motivated self-starter. While you are doing things on your own, do not stop looking for internships. Deciding to engage in one of these activities is better than doing nothing at all.

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