With summer right around the corner, many first- and second-year students start wondering: What should I be doing to set myself up for the future? If you’re feeling unsure—don’t worry. Early college summers are less about having the “perfect” internship and more about building skills, exploring interests, and learning how careers actually work.
Here’s how to make the most of your summer, especially if you’re interested in fields like finance, consulting, or other competitive industries.
- Build transferable skills
- Focus on experiences that strengthen NACE Career Readiness competencies. These can include part-time jobs, volunteering, student organizations, personal or class projects, or any internship—even if it’s unrelated to finance or consulting. These experiences help you build a strong foundation employers value.
- Don’t stress about industry-specific internships
- Employers understand that first‑ and second‑year students have limited access to industry‑specific roles. While they don’t expect prior finance or consulting experience, they do look for early signals of interest—such as relevant coursework, projects, campus involvement, or skill‑building activities—that demonstrate curiosity and motivation toward the industry.
- Explore industries strategically
- Check out low‑stakes, industry‑specific experiences—such as Forage virtual projects, LinkedIn Learning courses, or Vault Guides—to get a sense of how industries like finance or consulting operate. These experiences build context, boost confidence, and support early skill development without requiring prior knowledge.
- Start networking
- Talk with upperclassmen about what they did during their early summers, and attend employer events on Handshake to learn more about companies and roles. You can also follow employers on LinkedIn or join their email listservs to stay updated on opportunities, including exploratory or early‑insight programs designed for first- and second-year students.
- Stay connected with updates of your industry interest on our career website
- Subscribe to the Business & Finance and Consulting career interest pages on our website to receive newsletters, resources, and industry updates tailored to your interests.
