School is out. It's summer and it is time to look for that summertime job that is going to give you the extra money that you need this school vacation to do all the things that you really want to do. So how do you get that job?
You start by treating job hunting just like you would treat working a job! Be dedicated, diligent and responsible. Take the same principles that you would apply to a job and apply them to your search for a employment.
Dress appropriately for your job hunt. Make sure your appearance is neat, clean and respectable. Stay away from T-shirts or other clothing with writing, logos, or slogans on it, this writing may be seen as displaying conflict or offensive to some individuals. Clean blue jeans are usually okay for applying for most summer positions but don't wear cut-offs, mini skirts, or any type of goth or other theme orientated clothing.
Set yourself regular hours to job hunt and stick to them. Three half days a week for job hunting should be sufficient time on the streets to land you a job. Remember that the managers and owners of these businesses are busy people. Usually early Monday morning they are busy taking care of issues from the weekend and extra mail or stock shipments, late in the day and late in the week they may be getting tired and therefore less apt to give you the attention that they should.
Keep in mind that relatively early in the week and early in the day is usually the best rule when it comes to job hunting. My suggested schedule, and the one which my daughter followed, was Monday from ten a.m. to two p.m. Then again out on Wednesday and Thursdays for those same hours. Another good job hunt shift is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from ten a.m. to two p.m. These are hours that allow you to sleep in just a little but that still get you out and hunting before it is too late in the day. You can choose whether or not you would like to stagger your shifts with a day off in between. Try to avoid going out on Fridays as the end of the work week is closing in then, the manager is getting tired, and for some businesses weekends are much more hectic than weekdays. Taking Fridays off also has the added bonus of allowing you to have a long weekend to reward yourself.
So back to the hunt for a job! Where do you look?
Everywhere and anywhere! The first places that you should apply at are the jobs that you would really like to have. After those are covered than start applying at every other suitable job that you can think of. Keep in mind that many locations have positions that would be suitable for you but you just may not be aware of them. Most local tourism or hospitality positions need extra people in the summer months so they hire more people then. Parks, golf courses, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, and recreational facilities like your local swimming pool all do most of their business in the summer months so must increase their staff levels during that time. This increases your odds of getting hired by one of these businesses. Other industries like Landscaping, Farming, Gardening Centers and Tree Nurseries all need extra staff during the summer months and are really great places to work, as well as to gather great experience in an area of interest that you may be able to use later in your life.
Don't just restrict yourself to applying for "summer only" jobs though! Apply at your local grocery stores, department stores, and specialty shops. A lot of times a summer job will work into a more permanent position. It may be future weekend work, or a position that you can work as a "fill-in" for future holidays periods like Christmas and Easter when other staff members would like to stay home with their families. Also a lot of larger corporations will often provide or create specific positions just for students to fill during the summer months. They know that having a student work for them now may mean that they will acquire a full time worker once that student has completed their studies and they want to expose you to the many benefits of their working environment.
Just be dedicated, diligent and responsible when you are out there searching for your summer employment opportunity. If you stick to your job hunt with all the principles that you should take into a job, then your diligence will pay off, and you will find your the job that you are searching for.