Written by Katy Sheridan

School is nearly over for the year, or it has been for a while if you were meant to be taking your A-levels, and you have a long summer holiday ahead. I’m sure many of you will be rushing out in this lovely weather for picnics with friends you haven’t seen in a while or enjoying the newfound excitement of visiting shops that don’t only sell food. However, many summer plans, such as family holidays or summer jobs, have been put on hold, and you may be finding yourself with more time to spare than you had originally planned.

Although we’ve all had to become experts at filling extra hours of spare time, you might be looking for things to do that are a little more productive than re-watching your favourite Netflix show. At Pathway CTM, we are interested in anything that helps students develop themselves, whether that’s improving their employability or building their skills, we’re here to help! That’s why we’ve collated some activities to keep you busy throughout the summer. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to add some productivity into your daily lives, so you can come out of this summer knowing you’ve done something positive with your time.

Write or develop your CV

Well we are a career’s advice service after all! This is the perfect time to finally document all the great stuff you do. Start by making a bullet-point list of anything and everything you think may be relevant, then format your best points into an A4 page that a potential employer would find easy to read. You can find templates online, Canva has some very aesthetically pleasing ones.

Watch our webinar on CV writing here for a great walk-through on how to perfect your CV!

Renovate your room

Most of us have become far too familiar with every inch of our bedrooms over the last few weeks. Why not use this time to show it some love and revamp your space, not least because a bright and clean environment will help you feel energised and productive. Indoor plants are an inexpensive way to improve any space, and you’ll probably become quite attached to them. My plant’s name is Charlie. Why not get organised and sort out your files – school is nearly over, so don’t leave your work in piles of paper around your room. You could clear out your wardrobe, donate the unloved to charity or try turning old items into something new (see TikTok point lower down)

Join our work experience

Work experience is a key element of any young person’s CV, but we know it can be difficult to find. That’s why Pathway CTM is offering virtual work experience days to any student on our programme, with employers HSBC, the NHS, IBM, UBS and RWE. These days will be fun and informative, and a great way to learn about a firm you may not have heard of. So watch your inbox for links to sign-up to this great experience!

Soak up some culture

From the 4^th of July museums, galleries and cinemas can open back up again. Meet up with a friend, or prepare some good tunes and go solo, and see what you can find in your local area. If you do intend to use public transport, remember to wear a mask, and don’t travel at rush hour!

Set an exercise goal

If you’re feeling the funk of being indoors for too long, exercise is a good way to get energised again. Try an exercise plan, such as the Couch to 5K app for running, or Chloe Ting’s 2 week shred on YouTube. You could agree to do it with a friend to keep you motivated and track your progress together.

Learn a software that could put you ahead

Knowledge of specialist software is a valuable skill, and a great way to turn your interests into a sought-out skill. If you’re interested in design, why not try learning Photoshop or Illustrator (Adobe offers a 30 day free trial) You could become an expert in Excel, or learn a coding language. Produce music. Learn to video edit. Design content for video games. The list goes on… There are great tutorials on YouTube for almost anything, or you could try an online course.

Find things to do on TikTok

As someone who has recently become addicted to TikTok and has given up trying to convince myself otherwise, I’m surprised by the number of videos that have inspired me to get out of bed and do something (stay with me here). Some of the ones I’ve wanted to try for myself have been sewing videos, showing impressive up-cycling of old clothes, demos of embroidery patterns that I want to cover all my clothes with, and beautiful artworks that I would love to recreate. There are also loads of great ideas for healthy and often ingenious recipes and bakes. Of course you could also force your family into recreating some kind of group dance, whatever gives you the biggest serotonin boost.

Let us know in the comments below if you have any great ideas to stay productive this summer! As always, our student inbox is open if you need advice about your options post-school (and will be open throughout the summer holiday).

Thanks for reading, enjoy the sunshine!