Tips for Finding a Summer Job

For college students, the summer can mean freedom and relaxation and, most commonly, the responsibility of a summer job. Finding summer employment isn’t always easy, however. Start your search as soon as possible and know how and where to look with some proven tips.

Look for Seasonal Jobs

During the summer months, temporary employment typically includes construction work, roofing, landscaping, theme park and/or carnival work and work in the food service industry (e.g. restaurants, ice cream shops, concession stands, and food trucks). Seasonal workers are usually contracted well before the season begins, so you should submit your application as early as possible.

Tweak Your Online Image

Today, many employers turn to the web to learn more about their current and prospective employees. It doesn’t matter what position you hold or will hold. Most employers go the extra mile to ensure all their employees represent their company and brand well. Since your online image receives the greatest exposure and says the most about you, it should be squeaky clean.

This means you should remove all embarrassing or controversial photos, posts, tags, etc. Additionally, during your employment, keep your posts as tasteful, positive and respectful as possible – never post anything negative about your job or employer. Additionally, create an online job profile and/or resume on a social media site like LinkedIn. Job recruiters are known to search for new talent on these types of websites.

Create Attention-Grabbing Cover Letters

Generally, human resource (HR) managers have a lot of applications to sift through. This means that many can be tossed to the side for the smallest of reasons, just for the sake of narrowing down the list of candidates. Cover letters that are concise, creative and unique can help ensure your application doesn’t end up in the ‘throw away’ pile. Make sure your cover letter and application stand out by putting time and effort into the process. Plan to spend at least a few hours on each application and tweak your cover letter to match each job accordingly. Ensure your cover letter is also addressed to the right person, which can show initiative, attention to detail, seriousness and respect.

Check Out as Many Places as Possible

Oftentimes, the key to finding employment is to never give up. This also includes searching for a job in as many places as possible. Today, most people use the web to find employment. So, search as many websites as possible. Fortunately, online job listings and websites are aplenty, so there are many places to look. Just be sure to mix it up and search via a variety of different sites.

Most sites receive new job postings every day, meaning there will also be plenty of jobs to apply to and ways to apply. Even though most job applications are found online, you can still look for a job the old-fashioned way. Don’t be afraid to look for employment in and around your neighbourhood. For example, if you live in our awesome Ottawa student housing, you will be in close proximity to a wide variety of potential employers.

Happy job hunting!