The current world of entrepreneurship, startups and entering the corporate world is ever-increasingly more competitive. Having some experience or a degree simply doesn’t cut it anymore. On top of that, many schools don’t teach the basics of entrepreneurship and business startup concepts, like creating a convincing business plan and elevator pitch. Even more so, it can be hard to gain practical experience and develop the networking connections required to succeed—quickly—in a global market place.
International summer schools are bridging the gap in education and experience to help ambitious young people succeed in today’s global marketplace.
In this article we will look at why you should look into an international summer school intensive program, how it builds your resume, the invaluable skillsets it teaches you, the importance of the networking opportunities, the available locations and programs, the qualifications needed and more.
So, let’s get started…
What Is Summer School?
Summer school is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to grow beyond a standard curriculum, and get real-world experience. It not only teaches you real-world practices but also connects you with like-minded individuals, mentors and business connections that can land you not only jobs but clients in the future.
In terms of tangibles, summer couse is a mixture of lectures series for additional learning to a standard curriculum, mentoring sessions, networking events and experience in a different country that offers you different perspectives and full experience.
Yes, normal post-secondary theoretically offers you these opportunities, however, in reality, many programs are more theoretical than practical. This is on-the-ground connections and learning that can translate into partnerships, connections, mentors, clients and more.
Why Summer School?
You are in school all year—why summer business education? Or you’ve finished post-secondary, or never went. Short but intensive international summer school programs are aimed at combining fun, with critical learning and resume-building criteria. Yes, it is work—but it’s a great time too. These programs can give you the leg up on your competition in the workplace when applying for jobs, create an incredible network of colleagues around the world, but also provide the entrepreneurial skills that will help you start a company or join an exciting startup. Summer school can not only build your soft and hard skills—but build your resume to a competitive level.
Who Is a Summer School for?
Summer courses are targeted to young individuals, mostly students in college/university, but also those who wish to expand their knowledge of a certain topic. These international summer school programs are designed for young people that are above 18 years old and have a strong motivation to learn, create connections, travel internationally while building their resume. Yes, it takes a small chunk out of your summer holidays, but what you learn and experience is well worth it.
Our students are forward-thinking ambitious learners that either want to kick-off their career or change their original profession with the reason of starting on their own. So, if you are between 18-30 years old, have strong motivation to learn about business while meeting new people, cultures and the world, you should consider summer courses.
- Qualifications for the Program
There are no must-have qualifications for entrance per se. You don’t have to be a current student enrolled in a university program or have any specific education level/background. But, you must have a sincere desire to learn and take the learning seriously, be willing to be mentored, add additional skills, network—and have an open mind to new ideas.
Summer school students span the global spectrum and come from a variety of countries, which creates some incredible diversity and global networking potential. Programs, however, are taught in English; while you aren’t required to have any official English certification, you will need an English level sufficient enough to follow the curriculum.
What Does Summer School Look Like?
Don’t be afraid by the term summer school. It’s not a school in the traditional sense. It is a summer experience that combines travel and culture with learning from top-notch people, experienced mentors, and international colleagues. And you don’t have to worry about a dissertation or essay making up the majority of your grade. You get out of the program what you put into it.
Summer school is a time to create lifelong connections, network with businessmen and colleagues from around the world, share ideas and learn from current real-world practitioners. While it is still a learning program, it will be the most enjoyable course you will ever take.
- It Isn’t All School
This is your summer, which is a time for you to recharge and grow personally. While summer school programs are intensive in learning, they also offer incredible opportunities to travel to a new place, get to know a new culture and more. While you will be in class for much of the program during the day (they range from 30-60 hours spread over 7-14 days), you have the opportunity to explore the area after the classes are done. Many summer school students also book a few extra days in their chosen program’s city to explore it before or after the program. Many opt for after, so that they have met some people and can explore it not only with others but a little more locally as well.
What is the price of a summer course?
Like almost all private universities, summer courses are not for free. As they offer a different study experience with a lot of additional activities integrated into it, international summer schools are an experience that costs but is also worth the money. Investing in 1-2 week-long experience that will open up the business world to you and be the starting point for your career is definitely something everyone should consider. When you add all the activities and things included in a tuition fee – you get a full experience that gives you the chance to relax while everything else as part of the program is already taken care of.
Why Our Programs?
We aren’t the only summer learning program, however, ours was built from what our team, mentors and corporate and startup executives found lacking in their education. These are strategic programs designed specifically (each program varies in specificity) for ambitious individuals to create a solid business plan, be able to pitch it, develop networks of like-minded individuals, meet with potential investors, find mentors, learn from mistakes of other businesses, and learn how to market digitally. These are incredibly specific and well-designed programs. They are incredibly challenging though, so they are built for those with ambition and a strong will to learn.
- Small in Size, Short and Highly Effective Summer Courses
Our courses are just 7-14 days consisting of 20-60 hours—however, are highly intensive. This isn’t a vacation though…plan to have not only your brain full, but your inspiration bucket as well. For those with high energy levels you will have time to explore the city, however get a good night’s sleep ideally as every day’s curriculum will be challenging. Our courses are limited in how many can enroll each year, with the maximum ranging from 30-60 students, depending on the program. We do select our candidates carefully and generally require a curriculum vitae—to ensure all our students will be successful and be similarly minded in learning and ambition goals.
- Guest Speakers, Teachers, and Mentors
Our speakers, teachers, and mentors aren’t the typical academics that you find in traditional learning programs. We select them based on a myriad of factors—but most importantly real-world experience, level of engagement, credentials, and overall business success. We want you learning from people who can not only teach but actively practice what they preach.
- Networking
Post-secondary schooling is an incredible opportunity to meet like-minded people and create a network. Your networking opportunities are generally local though. If you’re not currently a student, then your opportunities are often limited to your current work environment. For anyone looking to work or travel globally, start their own international company, or otherwise rely on a network outside of their school alumni and workplace—youth entrepreneurship program is your opportunity.
Without sounding cheesy, the connections made in summer school programs last for years and years. It is an intensive program of like-minded individuals who will go on to do great things. You will be able to not only rely on these professionally but will become personal connections to help inspire you.
- Locations: Toronto, Munich, Silicon Valley, Dublin
We carefully selected our locations to highlight established and emerging tech and startup sectors in Europe, the United States, and Canada. Each location and program is unique…so, which one is the right one for you?
Munich Business Academy
Our Munich Business Academy summer course blends entrepreneurship, consultancy, and the corporate world over its 60-hour, 14-day program. The small class size of 60 people makes it interactive and engaging. In this program you will learn the business culture, case studies (from both startups and large corporations), mentorship and case results pitching. We also have a case-pitching competition, guest speakers, and corporate visits. There are also ‘free time’ trips, like heading to nearby Salzburg for cultural learning.
Check how our Munich program looked like last summer!
Toronto Business Academy
Our Toronto Business Academy is hosted in Canada’s largest city, and one of the epicenter’s of global business. The Toronto, 14-day, the program offers content on Canadian business culture, case studies, business plan creation, business pitching, corporate visits, guest speakers, Meet-the-Expert events, and mentoring sessions.
This program is focused heavily on entrepreneurship—especially mastering your business plan and developing your pitch, and then pitching it to real-world investors.
Silicon Valley Academy
Our Silicon Valley Academy is set in the world’s largest tech hub. It is home to Google, Facebook, Apple, Intel, and Netflix to mention just a few—but also an incredible amount of tech startups. For those with tech ambitions (especially entrepreneurial!), Silicon Valley is the place to be. This 60-hour program is heavily focused on learning the Silicon Valley business culture, workshops, meeting potential investors, doing case studies (learn from others successes and failures), and creating a convincing business plan and elevator pitch.
This Silicon Valley program features exhibition tours, networking events, corporate visits, university excursions—and an elevator-pitch competition. Read what else we had a chance to visit!
Dublin Business Academy
Our Dublin Business Academy focuses on the strategic art of digital marketing. It is designed to take your cursory understanding of internet marketing, then learn from the pros, to turn you into a powerhouse. This program’s core is social media marketing, the evolution of digital marketing, current and emerging techniques, developing a solid strategy and looking at the difference between digital marketing and digital business models.
In this intensive 7-day program you will learn how to set up a digital marketing strategy, social media marketing (including influencer marketing), and the cutting-edge techniques used by the world’s top companies.
Global Learning
We won’t preach about the importance of understanding the importance of global markets and connections…you know that already. Summer courses offer you the opportunity to tap into those via other students, international teachers, and international business alliances.
- Business-Learning Experience
It is one thing to learn in a classroom from academics. It is a whole other ball game to learn from successful startup owners and successful high-level corporate people. Hands-on experience from people out in the world succeeding in their field is something that unfortunately many colleges and universities don’t teach. This is why summer school brings together real-world practitioners of their craft to teach students, with current and effective lessons.
- Resume Building
Yes, you’re in college or university full time (if not, keep reading—we have something for you too), which will award you a degree. Once you have that degree you can get an amazing job based on that degree right? Or you can create a company or freelance your skills right?
The simple truth is that a degree alone doesn’t separate you from the crowd anymore. In developed countries, the average rate of people with post-secondary degrees is over a third of the population. So, if a third of the population has a degree—how do you stand out? While there are multiple ways to stand out, like volunteering and previous work experience, if you have extra education on your resume related to your career—that’s a differentiator.
For those currently in the workforce, experience alone isn’t a differentiator either. You need on-going certifications and learning to advance as quickly as possible. Simply staying stagnant in your current field without on-going learning courses will leave you right where you are. Adding courses such as online marketing and entrepreneurship via case studies, mentorships and practical experience, however—is a differentiator. It can mean the difference between you advancing, and someone in your position without the learning course.
- Certifications and Credits
Every student who successfully completes one of our programs will receive a program certification, and (based on the merit of course) a recommendation letter as well. But beyond that, you may be able for credits from your existing school. ECTS credits can be granted from our programs in Munich (5 credits), Silicon Valley (5 credits) and Toronto (6 credits). As credits may be offered towards your degree, it is a solid way to earn off-season credits, in addition to skills and networking.
- A Change in Thinking
The travel opportunity is exciting, the potential credits are awesome, the networking with other students/investors/companies incredible of course. But we also encourage students to have the mindset that it can change your thinking for the future. Entrepreneurial programs can truly change your mindset, in a number of ways:
- Practical Work Experience First
You may realize from the program that while you’re learning incredible skillsets, you aren’t fully there yet. You may make a connection in the program’s network that offers you the opportunity to work with a startup, find a mentor or intern at a large organization that will offer you paid opportunities to learn more—and quickly—before branching off on your own.
- Entrepreneurial First
Those hesitant to start their own company may find the inspiration to do so. You could learn that it’s worth trying and what’s involved in giving it your best shot. Also, you may find that you create the connections to offer you the seed money you need, a partnership, potential clients, etc.
- Colleagues Become Partners
Many international summer school students are entrepreneurial in mindset but their concept can’t be launched alone. During programs, you may find that you connect with someone or others who share your vision and want to launch a project as a partnership or team.
- Mentorship
You are crazy ambitious and can’t wait to get out into the business and/or entrepreneurial world—awesome! And you are smart and ready to tackle everything it will throw at you…err…right? Ambition and intelligence are fantastic, however, finding a mentor to help you plan ahead for potential issues is invaluable. Many students either find a mentor, or at minimum realize they could learn better and succeed faster from having one.
In a summer program, you will learn what success means to you, how to get there, network, inspire others, optimize for happiness, recognize what is the right past for you, inspire others, be sure that you’re passionate about the path you choose, and more. Much of that is outlining your opportunities, like the ones listed above, and figuring out where to go from there.
So, you think you are ready to join? Click below and explore our opportunities!
Who We Are?
We started ABC BootCamps after finding that while our post-secondary education was important—it wasn’t nearly enough. To be uber-competitive you need more these days…more entrepreneurial training, more business skills, practical hands-on experience—from teachers beyond your university program. We also wanted to learn from high-performing people in the business world, and not just academics. We wanted to learn from successful entrepreneurs, to become ones ourselves.
We here at the ABC Group have strategically connected with enterprise-level companies like Bank of Montreal, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter, and also investors and startups. This myriad of companies and individuals has created a powerful network of people that want to help young people with entrepreneurial and business-minded aspirations not only network but to learn their place in the world and succeed.
Our goal isn’t only learning and networking though—it is connecting people with potential customers and investors globally.
Conclusion
Adding a certificate program to your education and resume is the added edge you need to find the ideal job in the corporate world. Entrepreneurship training is what you need in the startup world. Summer school programs can open your thinking while teaching you practical skills. Reach out to us to learn more about which program might suit you best and begin your process towards being accepted and enrolled.
