College and University Blog
Summer Jobs for Students: From the Interview to the Daily Grind
It鈥檚 that time of year again鈥攖he end of the school year is rapidly approaching. Some teens and twentysomethings are arranging vacations while others are scrambling to secure summer employment. Many are even planning both.
If you haven鈥檛 yet found a job for the summer months, here are five things to consider:
1. The sooner, the better. Summer jobs for students are out there, but you鈥檇 better get looking if you鈥檙e not already. reports that last year, the number of 16- to 19-year-olds with jobs or job hunting increased dramatically between April and July. If you aren鈥檛 already job hunting, get started!
2. Make a resume. A good resume can catch an employer鈥檚 eye and help you get you get your foot in the door鈥攜es, even if you don鈥檛 have any work experience. If you鈥檙e looking for a summer job to make ends meet between semesters but haven鈥檛 had a 鈥渞eal鈥� job, market any skills that you鈥檝e gained through school, extra-curricular activities, and volunteer work. On your resume, include:
- Your current contact information: Name, address, phone number, and email address
- An objective statement that describes the type of job you are seeking
- Your qualifications
- Education, starting with the most recent school you have attended and program you have completed
- Activities or groups that you are a member of
3. Dress to impress. When you鈥檙e called in for an interview, make sure you dress nicely. A suit and tie may be a bit too much for a part-time summer job, but dress pants and a nice shirt or a dress will still be impressive. If you don鈥檛 have a pair of dress pants, dark jeans without rips or holes or a pair of wrinkle-free khakis and a nice shirt along with clean shoes can suffice.
4. Arrive on time. If someone is going to interview you for a job, they are most likely a supervisor of some sort. That means they are busy and have a lot going on. Don鈥檛 make a bad first impression by showing up late鈥攜ou鈥檒l alter their entire schedule and possibly cause yourself to lose the job.
5. Be honest and polite. It鈥檚 normal to feel slightly nervous during a job interview. It happens to grown adults as well as students! Practice answering basic interview questions with a friend or family member ahead of time, but once it鈥檚 time for the real deal be polite and be honest. Don鈥檛 lie about your abilities! Don鈥檛 text during the interview!
Once you鈥檝e got a job, it鈥檚 up to you do keep that job! The first few days or even weeks may be okay or even exciting, but once the newness wears off it can become as mundane as anything else. Even so, give it your all until the end of the summer. Consider the following:
1. Remember: it鈥檚 more than 鈥渏ust a summer job.鈥� There鈥檚 a lot to be said for any job, from flipping burgers at a local fast food restaurant to bagging groceries at the supermarket or interning at a prestigious law firm. According to the United States summer jobs help young people learn or improve communication skills, time management, teamwork and more.
2. Take your tasks seriously. Whether your job involves something as menial as emptying trash cans or making copies or something much more serious, take your duties seriously and make an effort to go above and beyond without acting like a kiss-up. If you prove that you鈥檙e able to handle the tasks that you鈥檝e been assigned, there鈥檚 a good chance that you will be given a 鈥減romotion鈥� even if it doesn鈥檛 involve a raise.
3. Do your best to get along with your co-workers. We all know people that we just don鈥檛 like, especially at work. Maybe someone at work has irritating habits that drive you crazy, or maybe they鈥檙e lazy and try to pass their tasks on to other people. Most people don鈥檛 get jobs to make friends and there鈥檚 no reason you have to hang out with the person (or people) after work, but do your best to 鈥済rin and bear it鈥� during working hours. recommends saying hello while making brief eye contact during passing, and saying good-bye at the end of the day.
4. Don鈥檛 break the rules. New hires are often given huge packets of information to absorb and sign on their first day at work. Many employees willingly put their name on the dotted line without completely understanding鈥攐r even reading鈥攚hat it is that they鈥檙e signing. Make sure you know the rules and regulations at your place of employment so you can avoid accidentally breaking them. And if you do know the rules, follow them. No one wants to get fired because they did something they know they shouldn鈥檛 have.
5. Leave on a good note. Summer jobs for students are a great way to earn some money while gaining work experience. When the season draws to a close and it鈥檚 time to head back to school, wrap up your job on a good note. Even if you told your supervisor that you would no longer be working once fall classes commenced, remind him or her verbally and in writing at least two weeks fore you will be leaving. If you did a good job and you liked the experience, you may be able to work there again during winter break or even next summer. And if it wasn鈥檛 all that you had hoped, don鈥檛 tell off the boss or insult your coworkers on your way out the door鈥攜ou鈥檒l need a reference when it鈥檚 time to get your next job, and you want it to be a good one.
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Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.