College students only wish for one thing more than graduation day: to not be broke. You cannot go out; you cannot eat, and you really cannot do anything fun without money. We are not kids anymore, so putting a load of dishes in, or mowing the lawn for allowance doesn't cut it anymore. Our parents want us to make our own money, but getting a job during the school year kills both your social and academic life. The only viable option is to get a summer job. So here is a step by step how-to on scoring the perfect...

Step one: write up an awesome resume

Sit down, pull up a Microsoft Office template for resumes, and write down all of your strengths, talents, and achievements. Just follow the guidelines, and you should be golden. Don't forget about that time you made the Dean's List or the time were given a certificate for “reliability" in high school. If you are having trouble, call up your parents or ask your friends to start listing off your good qualities. If you don't look good on paper, your potential employer will never even think of getting to know you.

Step two: start your search

Start looking for jobs anywhere and everywhere. Keep updated and on the lookout for job fairs on campus. Also, most sororities and fraternities have some sort of group for all members of all chapters to communicate in, so try asking there for any job openings. Otherwise, resort to the trusty old Google search engine; don't be afraid to stray from home a bit, either.

Step three: apply, apply, apply!

Now that you have compiled a list of different job opportunities, start filling out your applications and sending them in with your resume. If you can find places that accept online applications, then you should be pretty well off. It is less likely that your application will get lost, and you can work on them from your room in between homework assignments. Don't hold back. Apply for anything and everything that interests you. The most difficult thing to come of this would be that you have to choose between two or more great job opportunities!

Step four: prepare for your interview

Start by finding out if there are any resources on campus, like the Student Employment Center, that you can use to gain interview experience. Often times, you can even ask a caring professor to take some time during their office hours to do a mock interview with you. If worse comes to worst, you can sit down with some friends and look up common interview questions on Google. The point is that you are prepared and know how to answer questions about your strengths, weaknesses, and so on.

Step 4: interview

Put on you big girl or big boy clothes and go knock that interview out of the park. Remember that you are going to be spending a lot of time talking about yourself, and no one knows you better than you do. Be sure to exude confidence because that's really impressive to interviewers. Most importantly, don't be afraid to show that you don't know everything; your employers will want to see you grow and want to know that you're ready to do so.

Now that you know how to get a job, it's time to talk more about where to look to find that perfect summer job. I think that one of the best jobs that a college student can have is a job as a camp counselor. Summer camps are seasonal and usually include housing, food, and weekends off. You also get to work with some really cool kids and be out and active all summer. Start with your local YMCA, and then move on to overnight camps in your area. If the camp does offer housing and food for its counselors, then you have a whole lot more room to roam.

If that's not really your style, then consider being a lifeguard. Again, this is a seasonal job, and you will get to sit by the pool all day long. Lifeguards usually get pretty good hours, and they always get really nice tans. Becoming a life guard is a little difficult, as you have to pass certification tests, but if you are fit and a strong swimmer, then it should not be a problem. Plus, you might even be able to continue working at your school's gym in the fall.

If you are not too crazy about having to pass a couple tests to start working, then you might also consider working at a nearby state park or amusement park. State parks and amusements parks usually offer loads of summer positions because attendance skyrockets as soon as school lets out. At state parks, they usually need tour guides or people to run ticket counters of gift shops. These jobs are ideal for the outdoorsy and social types as you will be dealing a lot with nature and people. Amusement parks are pretty similar, but they offer a wider expanse of job opening from food service to ride attendants. If you live anywhere near a Disney Park or a Six Flags, then you are pretty much set. You should get some good hours and some discounts for you and your friends to use on your days off.

If all else fails, there is always customer service. Your local restaurants and clothing stores will surely being hiring over the summer. Start putting in applications about a month before finals that way you can start working ASAP. Customer service jobs may not be the most glamorous or fun, but you usually get to meet some pretty cool people, and if you work in a restaurant there is usually some free (or discounted) food. Customer service also teaches you a lot of respect, and you will be less likely to take your waitresses for granted on a bust day after working in a restaurant for a summer.