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The Salary Tutor:

5 Ways to Get Ahead During Summer

Summer Presents Unique Opportunities for You to Advance Your Career

1B. Expand Your Skills

Passion project: If you've ever said "I've always dreamed of doing (insert passion project here)" don’t wait another day. Various studies show the average American watches 3-5 hours of TV per day, so cutting out TV this summer would free up at least 20 hours a week to put toward your goal. Maybe it’s self-publishing a book, launching an online business, or volunteering.

Fun and valuable classes: Expanding your skills doesn’t have to be seen as a chore, and might pay dividends in the workplace down the line. You might also try such things as:

  • Taking an improv comedy class with a friend might lead to more confidence speaking in front of groups at work and thinking on the fly
  • Learning to use your new DSLR camera in a photography class will not only allow you to take better photos of your friends hiking through the mountains, it could also give you an eye for great content for your company’s social media sites
  • Starting a food blog might be a great way to make sure grandma’s recipes are available to family members spread across the country, while the skills you learn (installing Wordpress, basic HTML, uploading photos and videos) could translate to projects at work

 

  • Jim Hopkinson

    Jim Hopkinson is an author, writer, and speaker living in New York City. His focus is on career development for the new economy, showing how new media, technology and branding are changing how people look at their career and lifestyle. Read more...