3 Summer Break Mistakes That’ll Hold Your Career Back

POV: It's April, your FYP is full of "summer break countdown" videos, and you're daydreaming about having zero assignments hanging over your head. It’s all fun and games until you see your classmates landing internships at top companies while your biggest achievement is finding a new Netflix show.

There's a way to set yourself up for success without giving up the fun parts of summer break 2025. Those 90-ish days could be your chance to explore everything from remote internships to student summer employment opportunities that excite you.

Let’s talk about the mistakes college students make over summer break so you don’t fall into the same traps.

Waiting Too Long to Apply for Summer Internship Opportunities

Delaying your application is like being too casual with a person you want to date. If you wait until you’re “in the mood” to text them back, they may just move on to someone more proactive. Same goes with internships—you snooze, you lose.

Companies recruit for summer internships super early, like the start of the spring semester in January. The summer internship 2025 scene is competitive, especially with many remote and virtual opportunities popping up. Many students will apply for the same roles, so the earlier you get your application in, the better your chances are of standing out.

Don't freak out if you haven’t landed an internship by the middle of the spring semester. Consider meeting with your career advisor to ask about any college partnership or opening. If you don’t have the time to meet with them in person, check out WayUp for opportunities in your field. It’s also a great idea to reach out to alumni or employees at companies you’re interested in through LinkedIn—networking can go a long way.

Failing to Track Your Career-Building Experiences

Whether you land a summer internship, a student part-time job, or start a side hustle, simply updating LinkedIn with your title and company name isn’t enough. Future employers want to know what you actually did to make an impact. Every task you’ve done successfully is a potential bullet point that sets you apart—if you remember to track them right (or at all!).

Keep a running note on your phone or a Google doc where you track your achievements, projects, and especially any numbers or metrics associated with your work. For instance, if you worked as a student intern at an e-commerce company and helped streamline orders, you could write: “Streamlined order tracking by creating a clear checklist for the team, reducing delays by 20%,” on your resume. It might have been as simple as creating a Google spreadsheet, but those little things show the problem-solving skills future employers value.

Side hustles, like freelance gigs or running your own Etsy shop, count too. The trick is to take a few minutes each week to jot down what you’ve been working on, the skills you’ve picked up, and the results of your efforts. 

By the end of summer, you’ll have a solid list of accomplishments ready to add to your resume or use in interviews. Don’t let those experiences go to waste just because you didn’t write them down.

P.S. We’ve got a step-by-step guide on creating a resume that’ll make your future employers say, “Where have you been all my life?”

Ignoring the Potential of Hobbies to Boost Your Career

One of the biggest Ls you can take is letting your existing hobbies collect dust during summer break. If you already know a lot about something, why not turn it into a career opportunity? Having hobbies and interests outside academics boosts your creativity and resourcefulness, which are important for your future career. 

Let’s say you’re really into baking. Why not start a baking TikTok account where you can share your creations and build a following? There are so many good skills to learn while doing this: video editing, social media strategy, finding your niche, and engaging with followers to name a few. You don’t have to do it all in one go. This week, film your signature recipe with trending audio; next week, try out different video styles. Over time, you can dive into hashtag strategy and analytics. 

All these small steps towards learning something about your interests could help you figure out what you want to do in your career. Maybe you had more fun coming up with content than you expected, and would love an internship or job in content creation—now you’ll have something in your portfolio to show future employers. Plus, you’ll be one step closer to figuring out how to pick the right job for you.

There you have it—mistakes to avoid this summer to set yourself up for your future career. Don’t worry, you’ll still have time to make your beach trip playlist and argue with your friends about which A24 film is the best.