Do you hate the thought of finding a summer job, especially now – a little late in the game – when most of the good summer jobs are taken already and the ones that aren’t seem so lame?
With more than 40 percent of hiring managers completing their summer hiring in April, those who don’t start their seasonal job search until May will have to work harder to find summer jobs.
A summer job can a great resume builder.
Three tips for finding a resume-building job this summer:
Tip #1: Sit and think for a while.
Yes, at this point you’re behind the eight ball. Most of the good summer jobs are taken. But, don’t be in such a rush to find something – anything! – that you don’t give yourself time to think about what might really benefit you in the future. Take what you’re interested in or what you love and build on it. Let’s say you love to snorkel, and the local scuba store needs someone to answer email or the phone. Not an exciting job, per se, but you’d be in the right mix, and who knows what that might mean later.
Tip #2: Register your interest in case someone ends up quitting.
As a general rule, both the employee and the employer will know in the first two weeks whether it’s going to work out. Let’s say you’ve gone after the jobs that build on what you’re interested in or what you love – but nothing’s come of it. Be sure to let those businesses know that you’re available to work immediately if a position opens up.
Tip #3: Be ready to grin and bear it.
If all else fails, and only the most undesirable of summer jobs are still to be had, bite the bullet in the name of character building. You learn more from mistakes than successes. And sometimes by doing something you hate, you’re able to hone in on what you love.
We hope you find a summer job that will look great on your resume!