Everyone’s doing internships. Everyone’s volunteering in the local communities. Everyone’s working more hours in a retail store or a F&B chain restaurant. 

Here’s what the hiring team won’t tell you: they’re bored out of their minds reading the same things repeatedly. 

Want to stand out? Then stop following the crowd.

The problems with ‘safe’ summer plans

Volunteering, internships, and retail jobs. These traditional summer activities are safe, yet they are also forgettable. 

Employers are expecting to see something that makes you different from the rest. 

When more than half of the applications are sent out, having mediocre volunteer experiences, or are just regular staff members from random stores, these experiences become white noise. They don’t tell your story because they tell everyone’s story. 

How to fix it? Do something that makes people lean forward when you describe it. 

Start something instead of joining something. 

Got a wild idea? Make it real. Whether it’s launching your own business, developing a project, or creating a tool, just put them into action. 

After all, the goal isn’t to generate revenue, it’s about learning, growing, and demonstrating your leadership skills. 

Launch a startup:  You can think of starting a business to your liking. It can be anything! From selling handmade crafts online to offering a service in your community.

Starting a business is tough but rewarding. What it brings to the game:

• Enhancing your resume
• Teaching valuable skills in areas like marketing, finance, product management, etc.

For example, Esan Durrani at the age of 20 co-founded an education AI tool called StudyFetch, which successfully gain the trust of more than 4 millions users around the world.

His motto? “Your product will never be perfect, so be happy with the idea that it will always get better.”

Creative projects that build your personal brand: A blog for writing, your own YouTube channel that documents things you're interested in, or designing a portfolio website.

What the employer sees in you is that you are “selling yourself” through these projects, your uniqueness and skills, and how you can be a valuable asset to their company. 

However, standing out in the digital space can be tough. What you need to keep in mind is that:

• Define your interests and strengths
• Identify your target audience.
• Focus on delivering quality content that reflects your personality.

One tip that Steven J. Wilson suggests in his blog is to utilize the 5 C’s.

• Clarity: Know who you are, what you stand for, and what unique value you can offer. A clear personal branding starts with defining your strengths, passion, and goals.
• Consistency: Be steady in your message, tone, content updating, and visuals across all platforms. Making yourself recognizable and memorable to people.
• Content: Making sure that the content you share with people is quality and helps you engage your audience.
• Connection: build a good relationship with your audience and network.
• Confidence: And lastly, believe in your brand, communicate it strongly. This will help you stand out authentically and attract opportunities.

Be specific about what you do.

Generic internships or volunteering are fine. But interning or volunteering with a goal in mind is significantly better. 

Skill-based volunteering: Instead of simply volunteering in a hospital or child care, what about applying your skills in a volunteering project? 

What you can do in these programs, such as:

• Design marketing materials for non-profits.
• Run social media ads on Instagram or TikTok for local fundraisers.
• Coordinate logistics for charity events.

Where to find these programs? It’s easy, there are various websites to connect you with the non-profit organizations, such as Idealist, Devex, and even LinkedIn with specific keywords!

It is certainly a win-win situation that showcases your abilities and dedication to service. You’re not just showing up, you’re there to solve real problems with skills you already have. 

Intern at small, specialized companies: Yes, you don’t hear it wrong. Forget the Fortune 500 for a minute. 

A local tech startup. A state bank. A non-profit organization. These are where you’ll get hands-on experience and not just coffee runs. You see how a real, smaller operation actually works. 

At a startup, you might build actual features that customers use. 

At a small bank, you could analyze loan default patterns that affect real decisions. 

At a focused nonprofit, your fundraising email might directly feed 50 families.

Small steps, big success. 

There, you’re not an intern, you’re the one who handles social media, helps with customer reach, adds new features to the websites, and is an actual financial analyst. You are actually learning and growing new skills, not just simply observing and repeating tasks. 

Solve real problems to impress hiring managers

Speaking of solving problems, it is already unspoken knowledge that hiring managers appreciate applicants who can solve real problems. College might not prepare you for this, so how do you show you can handle it? 

Create content that discusses nowadays problems: Speak more, talk louder, actively share your knowledge about your field in your blog, channel, or social media account. 

After setting up your platforms, it’s time to select the topic/theme for your platform. As we discussed earlier, it can be anything. Just remember to: 

• Research it thoroughly 
• Propose or build a solution. The more specific, the better 

Building a good portfolio is a way for you to make a lasting impression on the employer. You have a chance, a platform, to show your expertise and be a thoughtful leader in your niche. 

Participate in the business case competition:  If business is your thing, then don’t hesitate to jump in competitions like KPMG International Case Competition , CFI Financial Modeling Competition , or DECA State Competition. 

These competitions challenge you to solve real business problems and present your ideas to judges.  

They help you develop and improve analytical skills, teamwork, and the ability to think on your feet—qualities that really grab attention on applications. 

Master something unexpected 

Teach what you know. Run workshops on anything you’re skilled at, or tutoring English or SAT, photography basics for seniors, Excel formulas for local non-profits, etc.

Here’s the tip: make it structured and measurable. 

• For example, offer a course like “20 Excel Tips You Might not Know” like this video by Kenji Explains. 
• Teach shortcuts, pivot tables, data visualization, and financial tracking through your platform. 

The point here is that aside from standing out in the eyes of employers, teaching forces you to truly master the subject matter. After all, you can’t fake it when someone asks you, “Why does this formula work?” You will discover gaps in your knowledge and fill them. 

Take advantage of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): Summer is a perfect time to learn new skills that college doesn’t teach you. Digital marketing, new coding language, video editing, etc. 

MOOCs, like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning, often provide valuable knowledge and certifications. But, don’t just finish the courses, apply what you learn. 

For example, if you take a video editing course, create content for a nonprofit’s social media or start your own YouTube channel. 

The motto here is that: Be proactive in your learning and make an impact. 

Red flags to avoid 

We have walked you through how to effectively spend your summer. Now, let’s come to this interesting part: how to detect red flags to avoid? 

• Generic volunteer work:  Of course, these are okay, but they don’t offer meaningful experience and won’t differentiate you much from other candidates. 

For instance, spending a few hours sorting food at a charity may fulfill community service requirements, but it may not provide you with the hands-on experience or leadership opportunities that employers are looking for. 

• Expensive coaching/mentoring programs that guarantee nothing: Investing in your future is important, but be alert to expensive coaching or mentoring services that promise results without a proven track record. 

If it costs an arm and a leg and accepts everyone who applies, there is no reason for you to waste your time, effort, and money on it.  

• Activities that sound good but teach nothing: “Leadership conferences” are where you mostly listen to speakers. “Cultural immersion,” but you're only there to take Instagram photos. 

The secret weapon: storytelling potential 

Every experience should give you stories you can tell for years. Ask yourself: “Will this give me interesting problems to solve and interesting failures to learn from?”

If the answer is no, then move forward and find something else. 

Your experience should pass this test: can you explain what you did in two sentences that make people want to know more? 

If yes, you’re on the right track. 

If not, you’re probably doing what everyone else is doing. 

The goal isn’t to make an impression, it is to become someone worth admitting. It’s a big difference.