Maximize Your Summer Vacation

By Alexis Musick, Toppel Peer Advisor

With finals only one week away, career development is the last thing on any college student’s mind. Fortunately, there is a light at the end of the tunnel: summer vacation. While the ever-anticipated break is more often a source of fun and relaxation, it too can be a period of productivity. Summer break is the perfect time to develop new skills, take part in interesting experiences to build your resume, and further your personal and professional development. Here are four tips on how to make the most of your summer vacation.

1. Find a summer job relating to your career goals. Taking part in a part- or full-time job over the summer is almost always a rewarding experience. Not only does it give you an opportunity to pay off loans, afford rent, or stash a little cash in your back pocket for personal spending, but it also is an excellent way to start forging valuable connections as you gain experience in your field of interest. There are thousands of possibilities: Biology major? Check out field technician positions with an environmental company like Clarke. Plan to go into Computer Science? Don’t be afraid to embrace what you may consider a “lower-tier” job like Best Buy’s Geek Squad or a customer service position at a local tech score. A quick Google search can help reveal all of the possibilities.

2. Get an internship. Generally, while internships feature less (or no pay) compared to a regular job, they offer a more hands-on experience where you are able to work in a more technical, specific, or higher-level setting. Visit Handshake, Toppel’s career management system, which contains a database of internships that you can apply for directly on the system. Once you log in (with the same UM log-in information you use everywhere else), take a look at the lefthand column and click the section that says “Internships.” You can filter the hundreds and hundreds of results by things like location or employment type and find the internship you’ve been looking for!

3. Volunteer. Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to develop new skills that you can use in a job or internship. For instance, a student studying political science might benefit from volunteering with a legal clinic or community health center. The knowledge you accumulate and your demonstrated commitment to community service may give you a leg up when compared to other applicants who may have focused only on “professional” involvements.

4. Start networking and building connections. One way to get your name out there within your field of interest is by creating a LinkedIn profile (or polishing it up if you already have one). If you meet professionals at a career fair or during an interview, you can invite them to connect with you. Having recruiters or individuals within a company recognize your name upon application is a huge benefit; alternatively, the people you connect with might be the ones who can recommend you for a position elsewhere. Stop by Toppel from 9:00am to 5:00pm to meet with a Peer Advisor and have your LinkedIn profile critiqued!

Guide to Finding Summer Internship Housing

By Vinessa Burnett, Toppel Peer Advisor

So you’ve just landed your dream internship in a big new city and can’t wait for summer to roll around. Before you get too excited, you remember that there’s one caveat: you have to figure out where to live. As more and more companies expand their selection pool of interns to students across the country, many more students are left with the daunting prospect of searching for a place to live –often without much financial assistance or resources. This can be particularly challenging, given that most apartment complexes do not do short-term leases, and finding someone willing to sublease their place for three months can be difficult. But don’t worry, that’s where I come in. I’m here to help make the summer internship housing search process a whole lot easier!

Listed below are some of my favorite websites for finding summer internship housing, followed by some other helpful tips and tricks.

Rentler.com
Rentler is a great website when first starting your housing search. It has a simple interface and shows you exactly what you are looking for. Once you’re on the website, click the “Find all rentals” drop down menu and select “Sublease or Student Contract”. Next, select the city where your internship will be located in. A list of available options will be presented grid-style for you to choose from.

Leasful.com
Leaseful is an up-and-coming website geared specifically towards college students seeking to sublease for the summer. Simply enter the location of your internship and the dates that you will be staying. After clicking “Search”, you’ll be presented with a wide variety of subleasing options from other college students just like you.

Hotpads.com
On Hotpads, you can search for your ideal place in just a few clicks. First, type in the location of your internship and click search. A wide range of options will be presented to you on a map. To narrow your options down to just subleases, select the “More” tab at the top right and under “Listing Type”, select “Sublet.”

Sublet.com
While not as user-friendly as some of the other websites I’ve listed, Sublet definitely does live up to its name. On the home screen, simply select “Sublets”. This will take you to another page where you’ll enter the location. Once your search results appear, you’ll be able to sort and filter your results according to lease term, price, and even narrow it down to only furnished listings!

Airbnb.com
Known by travelers as a unique alternative to traditional hotels, Airbnb has grown to become much more than that. Many Airbnb hosts are open to long-term leases and most provide additional discounts for monthly rentals. If you’re curious about a particular listing, just send a message to the host!

And if you or someone you know is staying in Miami this summer...

University of Miami- Intern Housing

Summer Intern Housing at UM is a great way for interns to have flexible move-in and move-out dates and avoid the potential hassle of finding a lease/sublet for the summer. This is available to all undergraduate and graduate students who are participating in a summer internship. Many universities offer this kind of option, so if you are interning outside of Miami, this could be something to consider. For more information on UM’s Intern Housing Program, feel free to contact the Department of Housing and Residential Life at 305-284-4505.

Useful tips:
• Most major cities have Facebook groups dedicated to housing, and in particular, subleases. For example, there is a Dallas (TX) Sublets and Subleases group. To find the Facebook housing group for the city where you’ll be interning, simply enter in the search bar the name of the city, followed by either the word “housing” or “sublease.” Once in the group you’ll be able to comment on listings and interact with hosts.
• Be cautious of websites such as Craigslist that often feature scams. Do all that you can to verify the legitimacy of any listing that you come across so that you can ensure your physical and financial safety.
• Many universities and colleges offer internship housing to non-students during the summer. Be sure to reach out to local universities in the area to inquire about summer internship housing.
• Living with another intern could easily cut down costs in half. If possible, connect with other incoming interns and try to find a place to live together.

Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you in your internship housing search for the summer. The search process isn’t easy, but with the right know-how, you’ll be able to find a place in no time!

Time to Apply for the Summer Internship

By Melissa Wyatt, Toppel Peer Advisor

It’s that time of year again – time to apply for a summer internship. With many application deadlines fast approaching, here’s a quick checklist of how to perfect your applications and find an internship.

1. Visit the Toppel Branding Lab

You can visit the Toppel Branding Lab Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 4:30 PM to help perfect your resume and cover letter. You don’t need an appointment, and can solidify your application materials by critiquing them with a Peer Advisor. When applying for a competitive internship program, you need your application to stand out.

2. Ask for letters of recommendation and references now – don’t wait!

Ask for letters of recommendation today! You won’t be able to get a great recommendation if you wait until the last minute. Whether your application is due December 1st or February 1st, reach out to former employers and professors now about writing you letters of recommendation. Even if an application doesn’t ask for recommendations or references in the first application round, still reach out to potential references now. Stay in touch with them throughout your internship search, and ask their permission to use them as a reference if needed.

3. Practice your interview skills with a practice interview

You can schedule a full practice interview with Toppel’s professional staff at (305) 284-5451. In just one hour, you can have a practice interview specifically tailored to your field, and you will receive detailed feedback about your interview performance. If you’re pressed for time, drop in for a 20-minute mini mock interview and assessment with Toppel’s Peer Advisors. Both options will help you learn how to answer the tricky questions interviewers might ask, and will teach you how to sell yourself to an employers.

4. Use Handshake to look for an internship

Last but not least, log onto Handshake and use Toppel’s job search feature at miami.joinhandshake.com. Through your Handshake account, you have access to the 2,000+ jobs and internships that employers advertise through Toppel. Once your online resume is uploaded and critiqued by our staff (3-5 business days), you can even apply for an internship directly through Handshake.