The semester is drawing to a close and summer is just right around the corner. While a lot of us see a lot of free time in the near future, we also know that this is the only time that we've got to start making some cash again before the fall semester starts so that we're not as poor as we currently are right now after blowing through last summer's savings. So with that in mind, here are a few tips to landing the right summer job for you.
Use multiple online job search engines-- not just one.
Different jobs post on different job search engines. They'll tend to post on as many as they can think of, but might just miss a few, and you don't want to miss out on an opportunity that might fit perfectly for you. Trying checking as many job search engines as you can including Indeed, Snagajob, Craigslist, Monster, and more. Don't limit yourself!
Start applying as early as possible.
You do not want to wait until June when there is a ton of competition between college and high school students out of school trying to find work all at the same time. Start the application and searching process as soon as possible to make it easier to find work and beat the crowd.
Try to apply for seasonal positions, but if not possible, do not tell the employer that you're planning on leaving at the end of the summer.
Some jobs have seasonal positions for the summer specifically like at ice cream stands, retail stores, and amusement parks. However, if you want something that isn't a seasonal job, but a standard part-time one, tell the employer that you're not sure what the future is like yet and that you may or may not continue working when school starts. Do not say that you definitely will stay because if you really can't, then it'll make it easier for you to leave on good terms. But at the same time, do not tell them you'll only be there for a few months because some places will consider you less since they don't want to put all of the time and effort into training you if you're just going to leave after the first few months.
Do not apply for big jobs that allow a lot of progression and require a lot of training.
Jobs like this include most medical assisting jobs and another example would be as a pharmacy technician. These jobs require training, testing, and licensure at some point, if not in the beginning, and you will not get the full salary you could get if you were licensed and honestly, it's really tough to get one in such a short period of time.
Try not to take a job that takes up your entire summer.
Yes, money is important, but so is being able to take the time to enjoy yourself a little bit during your break. I personally suggest taking a part-time job, but if you're really in a money crunch and need a full time job, the choice is yours. I've had friends who have worked 24/7 over the summer and have barely been able to attend the fun things that their friends are doing. You're still young. You have plenty of time to work later once you've finished your degree, whether it be a high school or college one. So why not enjoy the time you have now? Go on road trips, take a day off and go to the beach, and relax a bit. You're already stressed out with school during the rest of the year anyway. Go out and make some new memories and enjoy amazing experiences.
Beware of on-call jobs.
I used to have a job that assigned employees "on-call" shifts where you would be assigned a potential shift and would have to call in an hour before that potential shift to see if you actually had to come in or not. These shifts make it super difficult to make plans and because co-workers know that these exist, the ones with the definite shifts might just call out whether they actually have a conflict or not because they know someone else has to cover for them, and if you're the assigned cover, then you have the short end of the stick. If you're the type of person who hates cancelling plans suddenly or hates missing out on a day out, then keep in mind, this type of job may not be for you.
Check out a few job opportunities before making a decision.
If you get several calls back from different employers, try to go to several interviews and if they're interested in you, tell them that you'll think about it and get back to them in a few days. This way you can see what each employer has to offer you and you can keep your options open as you try to decide which is the best fit for you task-wise, hour-wise, and pay-wise.
Choose a job that you'll actually enjoy.
Trust me, you don't want to attempt to job hop a lot during the summer because it gets difficult with the high volume of people already looking for jobs, as I said before. Try to find something that is a good fit for you. If you're an outdoors type of person, try looking for a job at an amusement park, a summer camp, or maybe as a lifeguard. If you're an indoors type of person, try restaurants or retail stores. If you don't like interacting with customers a lot, trying finding a job in a stockroom or as a busser at a restaurant. Try to find something that won't make you come home super stressed out and unhappy every day.
Work on your resume.
Don't forget to mention all of your skills. This can include customer service skills, computer skills, etc. Think you're lacking job experience? You can also put down school jobs, babysitting, and volunteer work on your resume in order to buff it up a little bit.
Don't sweat over interviews.
A lot of summer/part-time jobs ask the same basic questions that can usually be found online. Just look those up, think of your answers and recite them to yourself to prepare for even the toughest questions. And just be sure to be relaxed and be yourself. Actually engage in conversation with your interviewer rather than being super stiff and sticking to only answering interview questions directly. Making it seem more natural so that you'll seem like a down-to-earth person. A lot of jobs that you can get as a college student or a high school student do not have super tough interviews anyway and think of each one as experience for a bigger job in the future.
Work hard and it will pay off.
This one pretty much explain itself. Before you know it, you'll be ready for the fall semester and you'll have the funds to get yourself to get through it, too. Just remember, with summer jobs, it's all about balance and being the best that you can be.
