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Build Your Future Career This Summer

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Get Some Experience by Temping

“Signing on with a staffing agency for the summer will give [you] a good taste of a variety of corporate cultures, industries and opportunities that are available,” says Heather Mayfield, vice president of training and operations for Snelling Staffing Services.

And don’t be surprised if temping results in a full-time job offer or two as well. The American Staffing Association reports that 80 percent of companies that hire temporary employees do so in part to find solid candidates for full-time, permanent employment. So consider each temp assignment a tryout for a future job.

Attend Local Meetings of Professional Organizations

Professional organizations exist for one reason: To promote the fields with which they are associated. Part of that promotional strategy involves reaching out to future practitioners — like college students.

So you’ll likely be welcomed with open arms when you attend chapter meetings of a professional group in your area. These meetings are a great way to network with potential employers, says John Petrik, dean of student and career services for the Addison, Illinois, campus of DeVry University.

Keep a Journal of Your Summer Activities

Practically everything you do over a summer builds some key skills and traits. Write them down daily or weekly in a journal, where you can document “the specific skills, knowledge, experience and praise or other feedback you’re developing over the summer,” stresses Joanna Patterson, assistant director of the Career Education Center at Alverno College.

Work in Retail to Learn the Skill Every Organization Needs: Selling

“The economic engine of our country is fueled by sales,” Vellucci stresses. “If you know what makes or breaks a sale, you can apply that to almost anything — including selling yourself to your next employer."

This article originally appeared on Monster Advice.