This summer, you may be feeling wary about returning to your usual gig as a cashier or barista. Maybe you’re anxious about paying for college (or concert tickets), want more reliable hours and better wages, or want a summer job that can open doors to an actual career sometime down the road.
Finding a job like that might seem impossible, and you may feel doomed to spend your summer repping uncomfortable uniforms and working weekends. But many organizations take on summer students for jobs or paid internships during the summer- universities, school boards, municipal governments, magazines, marketing companies, NGOs, hospitals and offices, just to name a few. There are a lot of advantages to scoring one of the jobs: there’s usually set hours (meaning no more on-call shifts!), better pay, and the opportunity to gain valuable experience and possibly a glowing reference for future endeavours. But first, you have to get the job.
Landing a job like this can be daunting. It’s easy to get caught up in the fear of intense competition and have no idea what potential employers are actually looking for in a candidate. I was in the same boat- after years of retail and fast food experience, and a gruelling summer job hunt, I was hired for a non-profit magazine- giving me the opportunity to gain experience in the field I want to be in, great hours and at pay higher than minimum wage. Personally, I credit my newly landed position to the experience and skills writing for Affinity has given me, so I thought it would be best to pay it forward, and share my tried-and-true tips for landing an awesome summer job to my readers.
- Find Your Skills
At first glance, your past summers cutting grass or stocking shelves might not seem impressive. But, at the end of the day, it’s not the names of big-shot companies or fancy-sounding positions that will score you a job, it’s the skills that you can bring to the table. Compile a list of all your experience: jobs, volunteer work, clubs, teams, camps. Have you completed any certifications, like CPR training? Are you looking for a job that involves skills like editing or software use, which your high school or university courses may have taught you? Beside each experience, write down the skills you can demonstrate and apply in a workplace.
For me, Affinity was a major aspect of both my cover letter and interview. Some of the skills I listed included proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, Google Documents and WordPress; written communication skills; editing skills; research skills; the ability to maintain deadlines; organization; the ability to collaborate and communicate with a team and experience using social media as a marketing tool.
Think about what you can bring to the table. Have you held a job in retail? You’ve picked up strong communication skills; the ability to work both independently and as a team; the ability to multi-task and work under pressure; the ability to quickly learn new skills and concepts and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Being a part of a sports team or theatre group has given you the ability to communicate, work with a team, take on a leadership position and manage your time. These skills will become the foundation of your applications, and will be key to nailing your resume, cover letters and interviews.
- Build Your Resume
Once you know your skills, it’s time to work on your resume. Even if your current resume impressed your last interviewer, chances are it may still need to be revamped for your new applications. Resumes are ultimately a commercial for you and your skills, so it’s important you have one that’s professional and memorable. Here are my personal tips:
– Find a nice and simple format. A lot of young people I know seem to think that a flashy, eye-popping format will make employers notice you, but ultimately, it’s the content of the resume, rather than the presentation, that matters. Employers like a simple, straightforward format- so find something that allows them to easily read your contact information, work history and certifications without glaring eye sores. Also, go for a simple, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Arial.
– Keep it short. You may think stretching your information out over three pages will look impressive, but employers typically have many resumes to go through, and therefor want a quick glance at a candidate and their skill sets. A too-long resume may even seem desperate and highlight how little experience you actually have. Try your best to keep it to one page- and remove any extra. Keep your font at 11 or 12, list the dates of your employment and schooling on the same line as the company/institution name, remove the “objective” of your resume (we all know your objective is to be hired), and don’t list any references or the fact references are available by request. Just write down your work and education history, your contact information, and any relevant volunteer work or certifications and awards. If you still have space, try and mention a few skills that aren’t obvious given your work history (i.e., don’t waste space mentioning you have experience using a cash register if you worked at Harvey’s).
– If you’ve held a formal position, you can forgo mentioning your hobbies, informal work like baby-sitting, or short-term volunteer work like helping out for a day-long school fundraiser.
– Ensure it’s grammatically flawless. Edit it. Have a friend edit it. Have your mom edit it. Remember, a resume is a commercial- if you wouldn’t be happy with your current resume had you paid someone to do it, you shouldn’t be happy with it, period.
- How To Create A Bomb Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter is possibly the most daunting aspect of job-hunting, especially if it’s your first time writing one. Cover letters offer you a chance to sell yourself and your experience in ways your resume can’t, as well as highlight the skills that may not be obvious given your work history. So how do you make a cover letter that will blow your (potential) future manager away? Start by looking at the job listing. If the employer listed any qualifications (like certifications or skills), list them on a Word Document. If not, make a list of a few skills or experiences you feel that employer would value. This list will the framework for your cover letter. One by one, convert these skills into sentences, each one elaborating on how you embody this quality. For example, you can say, “my previous experience working for XYZ has allowed me demonstrate my strong communication and organizational skills, as well as my ability to work in a fast-paced, customer-oriented environment” and “through my local theatre group, I have taken on a leadership position that required delegating work and managing my time while supervising others”. Then, create a super short introduction simply saying your name, that you’re a student, and the position of interest. Then, create a short conclusion that highlights the fact that you are grateful for their time and consideration. This polite gesture is key. What to do about salutations? I recommend looking up the company to see if you can find the person who would be hiring you, and address the letter to them. (Above this opening, write the company name, address, as well the person you are addressing it to and their job position). If you can’t find that person, write “Dear XYZ Hiring Team” rather than “to whom it may concern”. Sign off by saying thanks again rather than sincerely. Once again, keep your cover letter short- this most definitely should be under a page.
- Use This As A Template
Depending on what kind of job you’re looking for (i.e., office jobs vs. camp jobs vs. sales jobs), you may need a different resume and cover letter. Every employer is unique and is looking for its own idea of a perfect candidate. For that reason, there’s no one cover letter or resume that’s sure to impress every single hiring manager. You may have to mention or focus on different skills and experiences depending on the job- for example, the ability to work in a fast-paced environment is awesome if you’re applying to work with kids, but probably irrelevant in an office setting, and saying you have experience with software technology may be wasting space on a resume for landscaping work. Likewise, you may want to use your same skills but focus on different sources. You work well both independently and on a team? A hands-on job may like to hear that you gained those skills from your summers as a leader-in-training, while a secretary position may like you to focus on your academics and position on the school newspaper, and a theatre company looking for interns would love to hear about your time in community theatre. Simply put, no resume and cover letter combination is one size fits all, even for jobs that are in the same sector.
But don’t panic. Making one cover letter and resume is challenging and time-consuming enough- don’t stress yourself out by trying to write dozens. Keep your one resume and cover letter as a template- this template mentions all of your most important skills, and since you chose what ended up on it, you know that these are the things you feel makes you the strongest candidate. Use that template to guide you- remove and add a few minor things if they don’t work for that company, and potentially change the “sources” in your cover letter. Remember, what you want to the employer to focus on is your skills, so always make sure they are mentioned. If you have to change how and why you have them, so be it.
- Find Your References
References may have been a joke in the past, but there’s a strong chance that employers for more serious positions will call them. Understand that most hiring managers don’t have time to call the references of every single applicant- they will more than likely only call for candidates that they have interviewed and feel have a good shot at getting hired. That means that if someone is calling your references, they like you. So don’t blow it by being completely unprepared.
One of the most common mistakes for an applicant is to list references without letting that person know they may get a phone call. Another is choosing relatives. Another is choosing people who won’t be able to make a strong impression. Another is not having references ready at the job interview. Do not make these mistakes.
First things first, find strong references, and talk to them. Maybe you don’t have work experience or had a bad departure from your last job, and can’t hire a former boss. That’s okay. Of course, if you were on good terms with a former boss (or someone you worked for in an informal way, like through baby-sitting or landscaping), then by all means, give them a call. If not, think about anyone you’ve volunteered with, teachers and teaching assistants, people in leadership positions at camps and extra-curriculars, and finally, family friends. If possible, try and limit yourself to one family friend as a reference, and make sure that that person is an adult, and someone who can be professional and represent you well.
As said before, let your references know beforehand that they may get a call. Shoot them an e-mail, leave them a voice message or send a text if you can’t see them in person. First and foremost, ask if they would be references. If they say yes, let them know again after you have a job interview that they may soon be getting a phone call, so they’re prepared. Finally, make sure you have the names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of your references listed and easy to access at your interview, even if you attached them in an online application. My suggestion is to write them down so you can just hand them to an interviewer, and don’t have to look for your phone or wait for it to restart if you shut it off.
- Start Early
Now that you’re prepared for the hiring process, it’s time to be a part of it. How early is too early to start for the summer? The limit does not exist. Many companies start as early as October to find summer students. We will discuss places to find these jobs below, but don’t be afraid to visit these websites as soon as you possibly can. If you, like many other students, waited until spring or early summer to start the job hunt, don’t worry too much- there are often still plenty of opportunities at this time of year.
- Know Where To Look
Knowing where to find these great opportunities is undeniably one of the most stressful aspects of job hunting. You live in a town where nothing important ever seems to happen, you have no awesome family connections, all the job listing sites look kind of sketchy. How can you possibly find an awesome job in a field you love? My first suggestion is to check out your local government pages. Check the municipal government of your town, your county, your nearest major city, and all the school boards and departments within them. If jobs in education or politics don’t feel like you’re thing, don’t sweat it- summer jobs offered by the government can be anything from a position as a summer janitor to a wildlife expert at a national park. If you attend post-secondary, look at summer jobs within your school or listed on a school website.
I’m from the greater Toronto area, so some of these sites may be more tailored for Canada, but I’ve found great opportunities on Good Work, Cool Works and Job Trekker. Also consider Mosaic, Summer Jobs, Glassdoor, Idealist, Internships.com, Global Experiences and Internmatch. Also, don’t be afraid to Google the top companies in your area or field (e.g., publishers, marketing firms, radio stations or non-profits) and check the individual websites to see if they offer summer internships.
- Don’t Be Afraid To Follow Up- But Be Smart About It
In my experience, following up can be a tricky thing. Before my current position, I had been in three, technically four positions (it’s a long story, basically I tried to juggle two part-time positions and it didn’t work out). Out of all of those jobs, I hadn’t followed up with any of them, aside from one where the manager wasn’t able to speak and I didn’t leave my name. Basically, after my first real job hunt (my first job I got hired through a connection), I handed out a ton of resumes and called to follow up with each one. The managers often sounded annoyed or confused over the phone, and would either sharply tell me when I could expect to hear back or tell me they were writing my name and moving my resume to the top of the pile without giving me enough time to tell them what it was. I didn’t hear back from any of them even though I had a polished, proofread resume and had went in in person to introduce myself. There was one place I had forgot I applied to, so didn’t call- and that was the job I landed.
Basically, understand that following up is okay, but be smart about it. Many employers have dozens of applications to go through on top of their usual work load, and the last thing they want is someone taking five minutes out of their day to remind them about the hiring process, especially if they’re calling days before the application deadline or after they’ve already booked interviews. My suggestion is to avoid following up for any retail or food industry positions.
As for other positions, read the job listing again, or be sure to ask about following up when you hand in your resume in person. If the job listing or person you speak to says “sorry, but only candidates we are interested in will hear back”, I would avoid following up- it’s their way of letting you know to accept that they’ll either call you or they won’t. If you’re specifically told no calls or e-mails, do not call or e-mail.
If you do feel it’s appropriate to follow up, and the job listing doesn’t say otherwise, then consider calling or e-mailing. Wait until a day or two after the deadline passes, or at least five days after you applied- give them time to look over your application, and remember that they’ve been carrying on throughout their day as you’re sitting at home waiting to hear back. They may have not gotten back to you simply because they don’t have time at the moment. Once you’ve waited a bit, look up the proper e-mail address or the phone number- but try to aim for a phone call. Either way, keep it short and sweet. Say “hi, I’m so-and-so, I applied for X position, and wanted to follow up with you.” If they tell you when to expect to hear back, just thank them and hang up. If they seem to want to chat for a bit, ask them if they have any questions about your application, and when you can expect to hear back. My advice though is to never be so blunt as to try and book an interview right then and there- it’s a huge gamble. Sure, some employers may be impressed by the confidence, or have had so few applications they’re fine with getting the process over and done with as fast as possible, but others may see it as arrogance, or haven’t even so much as glanced at your resume yet. You’re best to just leave it be- if they are impressed with your application, they’ll call you. A follow up can’t change the fact that you either are what they’re looking for, or you aren’t.
- Kill That Interview
All the hard work- all of the writing and revising and following up and scouring through job listings- has paid off. You’ve scored an interview. This is obviously a great thing- the competition has been narrowed down and you have the perfect opportunity to vouch yourself in ways a piece of paper never could.
So how do you nail the interview? First and foremost, try and time things the best as possible. When you get the phone call or e-mail, and the person suggests a time, take it if possible. It’s likely that’s the earliest available time slot they have, which is an advantage. If you absolutely cannot make that time, try and find one as close to it as possible. You are at an advantage by going either first or last, but if you suggest a far later time thinking it will for sure be the last slot, you run the gamble of them already finding a perfect candidate or them finishing up all interviews and having a few days until yours- which could mean they have more time to consider others and are in a rush to get your interview over with.
Once your interview is booked, start preparing. Find a suitable, work appropriate outfit (it might feel kind of crummy, but try and cover visible tattoos and piercings, and if your creepy male teachers would send you to the principal’s office for wearing it, don’t wear it). Choose something that’s casual, fits you comfortably, and looks like something you’d wear to an office, even if that isn’t the job you’re going for.
Practice answers to the most common and challenging answers- but don’t sound too rehearsed! Basically, be prepared to be asked questions you didn’t prepare for. Try your absolute best to sound conversational rather than robotic. A lot of interviewers like to ask a question that ask you to recall a real-world situation, like when you had to work with a team or solve a problem. Go back to your skill list, and think of real life examples of times you demonstrated these skills. You might not know exactly what kind of situation they’ll ask about, but if you have these examples ready, you know you can connect them back to your skill set.
Try not to be nervous- as tough as that is. Shake their hand, greet them politely, if they try and ask casual, personal questions, like asking about the charms on your bracelet or if you have any siblings, go along with it. Your answers will hopefully explain to them why you’re a great candidate for their workplace, but your attitude in the interview should also let them know you’re a fun and friendly person to work with- and after seeing tons of nervous, stiff faces, that may be exactly what tips the scales in your favour.
Ultimately, I could (and just might) post another article solely on the interview process- but the most important thing to remember is to be yourself, but you know, the kind of self you’d want your crush’s parents to see.
- The Ultimate Goal
Like your skill set, this will help you in every step of the hiring process. I included it last because it’s going to the basis of your cover letter, interview and resume.
Every company and organization has a goal. It might be to sell clothing or save abandoned kittens or create advertisements or fight fires, and so on. Before applying to a job, think about what that company’s goal is. Ultimately, many jobs fall into the service industry, meaning their goal is to serve customers a certain product or service that will keep them coming back for more. Think of how you fall into place with that goal.
If you’re going to be a salesperson, drive home the fact that you can help them reach their goal with your retail experience, go-getter attitude and excellent communication skills. If you’re going to be an office intern, let them know that you can help the office run as smoothly and efficiently as possible considering your familiarity with certain software, experience working as a team, and ability to quickly move between tasks. Basically, find ways that the skills you’ve written down connect with their goal.
Make sure to bring it up in the interview. Almost certainly, you will be asked something along the lines of “why should we hire you?”- without saying those exact words, make it clear that you understand their goal, and are able to be an asset to reaching it.
How do you do that? By following this template: because I am able to do this, this and this, I am able to help your company do this in ways other candidates cannot.”
I hope that these tips will help you in your summer job hunt and beyond- now go out there and get hired!
