How to get a summer job
Summer jobs whilst being a student can be great to help ease some of the financial burden of being a student and get some experience whilst you’re at it. The last year has been hard on everyone, but as things open up in the summer and businesses start to flourish, jobs start appearing. This isn’t something everyone wants to do and that’s ok! However, if you do want to get a job, it can be an incredibly daunting process especially as it is probably your first time applying to anything like it. This will hopefully act as a guide to help you land that perfect summer job for you.
Find a job
The first part of any hunt is actually finding something you want to do. This is actually harder than it seems as many jobs are full-time positions, require specific experience or skills or simply do not fit your needs. Sites like indeed.com are used by businesses to advertise vacancies, and can be a great place to find a bunch of similar jobs at different places to apply to all at once. Another approach is to look at specific companies in whatever field you want to enter and see if they have any vacancies that fit you. This does take longer and is only really effective if you know what field you want to enter, but can be much quicker than sifting through many vacancies to find one you like if you know what you are looking for. If you want something more locally, try simply walking down your highstreet and ask if anyone is hiring or has any vacancies. You’d be surprised what you can achieve by simply asking!
2. Building a CV
To apply to a job, you will most likely need to send them a CV which essentially is a list of all the relevant experience and skills you have to make you stand out from the other applicants. For the most part, you make one CV and send it off to everyone, but for some jobs you may want to tailor your CV slightly to the job at hand. There are many in depth guides to building a CV online, but the gist of it is to keep a CV relevant and concise - no employer wants to have to go through a lot of waffle to find what they want.
3. The interview
If you get to this stage, congratulations! Most companies interview only their most promising candidates. The interview is all about seeing how well you gel with the company and the current employees, and seeing how you adapt to stressful situations. Confidence is the key here - people respond well to confident and self-assured individuals. Most importantly, be yourself. The interview is just as much for you to see how much you like the work environment as it is for your employers, after all, you would not want to be working in a place that does not suit you.
There are also different ways to keep busy, earn some money and build experience. Volunteering is a great way - although you will not be paid, it is usually fulfilling work and can be a great way to build experience and branch out whilst helping your community. Another great way is freelancing. This is when you offer your skills to people who need them, and you are essentially self employed. You can do anything from tutoring to programming to musical instrument lessons - any skill can be marketed and monetised. Websites like fiverr and superprof are great for freelancing, and although it is not necessarily steady money, you have all the benefits of being self-employed.
Working when you are younger is not for everyone, and do not feel pressured into doing something you are not ready for. Everyone has a different path in life, so follow your instincts and do what you feel is right for you!
