Here are my final tips for finding a summer job:

• Do not bring your mother to the interview with you.
• Do not be afraid to ask for help, ask for leads or ask for a job.
• Follow up with leads people give you . . . you never know what can happen.
• Whatever you do, stay professional and know that your job search is a building block for you. You are creating your “brand” for the future.
• Build your resume by being thoughtful about what you do.
• See impressive resumes from young people coming out of college because they planned their summer jobs.
• A survey of 1,000 hiring managers revealed that 65% of the summer workforce will be people returning from previous year.
• Always learn from your experiences.
• Learn from the experiences of others. Ask people what was your best summer job? Worst? Most creative?

Summer is short and sweet. In a couple of months at a summer job, you’ll have new friends, added contacts, sharpened skills, and (let’s hope) some money in the bank. You can return to school in the fall and tackle your studies with a deeper understanding of what you want in a job and what you can contribute.
 

If you or someone you care about needs a summer job, you’ll want to brainstorm about places to approach for work. 

What kind of places might hire young people over the summer?

• Temp agencies are great places to look as many offices have employees out on vacation so they need to fill in for those weeks.
• Banks need help as people rotate through vacations.
• Consider tourist attractions – whether local or in a different location you think would be interesting.
• Hotels and resorts are hitting their busy season.
• Golf and Tennis Clubs
• Parks and Recreation Facilities
• Summer Camps
• Outdoor recreation facilities are great places to look. They are great if you have special skills such as life guard, entertainment, teaching, coaching, give lessons, but there are also opportunities to work on the grounds with general labor.
• Fast food restaurants
• Construction
• Health care . . . nursing homes and doctor’s offices. . .especially if you would eventually like to do something in those areas.

You can start your own business. Use your passion.

• Would you like to paint homes?
• Provide child care or elder care?
• Would you like to do landscaping?
• Be involved in a catering business?
• You can create your own website and cards for next to nothing.
• Consider doing an unpaid internship and combine with a part-time job.

 Spend a little time brainstorming and you will see a world of possibilities.

Being self aware is a great start when looking for a job. Knowing what you want and what you have to offer puts you ahead of the pack. But it’s not all about you. It’s time to give some thought to what employers are looking for when they hire seasonal help.

In some ways, employers are a lot like parents and teachers. They’re looking for someone who will arrive on time, have a positive attitude, take initiative, be polite, and dress appropriately. You’ll want to demonstrate all of these traits  in your job search and interviews.  Show up a little early, dress appropriately, be polite and show respect. Take initiative by learning about the company you will be interviewing for that day. Employers love it when candidates “do their homework.”

 Now that you have a clear direction for your job search, it’s time to tap into your network. Tell everyone you are looking and will take all leads.  Never, ever turn down a lead.

• Ask parents, teachers, professors, family, church, etc.
• Use social media!!!
• Facebook and Twitter are excellent tools.
• 300-500 jobs are posted on Twitter every minute.
• Twitajobsearch.com lists major firms that have posted.

Check out job search resources in the community:

• Newspaper help-wanted ads
• School counselors and your school’s Career Center
• Career fairs/Job fairs
• Chamber of Commerce often has lists of companies that could be an invaluable resource.

Now that  you’ve decided what you want in a summer job and have taken stock of your strengths, it’s time to put together a resume. It’s the first thing that your networking contacts and prospective employers will want to see. Your resume should summarize your strengths and show how they relate to the work place. 

There is no single “right way” to compose a resume, but there are some wrong ways. Spend an hour in the resume book section at Barnes & Noble, and you’ll see what a typical resume looks like. Don’t think that because you’re young that you don’t have to look professional on paper. Find published examples of student resumes and you’ll see ways to organize your skills, academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, and prior employment 

The purpose of your resume and all your networking efforts is to land an interview. Every chance to speak to someone about a job is a mini-interview. Practice your interviewing skills before you even have an interview. Be prepared to tell people about yourself and your goals and be ready to listen and learn about the organization.
 

Summer is almost here, so it’s high time to look for a summer job. But where do you start?

First, decide on what you would like to do and aim for that as your goal. Try to envision what you truly want in a summer job and you will be more motivated to look for work.

•  Do you want to work full time or part time? 
• Is there a certain amount of money you need to make?
• Is location important?

You may not find everything you want but if you know your criteria, then you have a guide to where to begin.

Next you need to understand what skills you have to offer. What will you say when someone asks, “What are your strengths?” Think it through, because someone will ask.

For many young people, a key strength is being at ease with technology. They can run circles around most adults in that department and those skills can be an invaluable asset in a summer job. 

Take inventory of what you have to offer. Are you an honor student?  Do you play a musical instrument?  Do you like to teach? Are you athletic?  Do you like to do manual work?  Are you good with numbers? Are you outgoing or reserved? Do you know a second language?

Understanding what you want in a job and what you’re good at is an important first step in your summer job search. Take time to think it through, because if you don’t know what you want and what you can do, how can you expect anyone else to know the value you can bring to them?