The Summer Holidays are here and it is time for … work!
Whilst the idea of weeks of lazy summer days, spent at the beach, in the park or the beer garden, may be an appealing one, the harsh realities of modern student life mean that for many the summer holidays are an opportunity to earn some cash to get you through the next Academic Year.
With that in mind we have put together our list of 10 top tips for landing that summer job.
1. Start Early
This tip is too late for this year, but a valuable one for future years. Whilst there will almost always still be some businesses or organisations looking to fill summer vacancies, many opportunities will have been filled weeks or months ago. Some employers will have started the process of recruiting for summer vacancies as early as February.
2. No experience …… no problem.
This is the classic chicken and egg situation. Many employers may be looking for some experience, but if you have not worked before – how do you get it? The qualities many employers will be looking for (that they sometimes rely on past experience to demonstrate) are commonly – reliability, punctuality, good communication skills, enthusiasm, competent English, Maths and computer skills.
But there are other ways that you can demonstrate these qualities, make sure you include any volunteering or charity work that you may have done, or work experience or positions of responsibility you may hold at College or University.
3. Go and be direct
It may be time consuming but once you have decided what kind of job and where you would like to work, make a list of them and call in with a copy of your CV to see if there are any vacancies or any likelihood of any. This has a number of advantages. Firstly, not all summer jobs will be advertised online, it demonstrates enthusiasm and a high degree of initiative.
4. Make your CV stand out.
There will almost certainly be more CVs than there are jobs, so the person doing the employing is going to have to sift through the CVs and decide who to interview or appoint. Look for ways to make your CV stand out make it bespoke to the firm and role you are applying for. We love this creative example where somebody was looking to join a confectionary company and made their CV look and sound look and read like a back of a sweet pack.
5. Don’t ignore the local Job Sites
Whilst a quick Google for student summer jobs will bring up pages of national websites which are good for opportunities with large national businesses that may have a local presence – sites like GlosJobs – https://www.glosjobs.co.uk/ – will be great for more localised independent businesses.
6. Think outside of the box
Whilst retail, bars and restaurants may be some of the first places to think of when looking for your summer student job, don’t forget tourist attractions or even events that will need extra staff over the summer months.
7. Think ahead
If you are fortunate enough to have a number of summer job options open to you – think ahead. When it comes to finishing college or university and you are applying for your dream job or career – which of the available options to you for your summer job would look best on the CV.
8. Money not important to you
If you have the time and money is not the critical factor to you then consider volunteering instead. Not only can this be hugely rewarding, but it can also look brilliant on your CV. You may also be able to practice the skills you have learnt at College or University. Volunteer Glos – http://volunteerglos.org.uk/ – is a great local website where you can search for volunteering opportunities in Gloucestershire.
9. Don’t fall at the first fence – socially…
If a potential employer chose to search for you online and looked at your social media profiles, then what would they see and would this increase or decrease the chances of you being employed. What might be great fun between friends or fellow students – may not make you appear to be the best candidate for that dream summer job.
10. Leave on good terms
This might seem a bit premature given if you are reading this, you may not have even secured a job. But keep in mind that if you leave your summer job on the best possible terms with your boss, colleagues and organisation then they may take you back next year or at other busy times like Christmas. They will also be more amenable to requests for references on CVs or Linkedin recommendations.
We hope this has been helpful and wish you all the very best in your search for a summer job. Have a great summer!