HOW TO FIND A SUMMER JOB (Or How I Will Spend My Summer Vacation)

By Maureen Casey Gernert
Director, Career Development Center
Western Connecticut State University

Now is the time of year when college students frequently start to think about summer employment. "What should I do?"... "Where should I look?"..... Probably the question the student should ask is "When should I begin my search for summer employment?" Believe it or not, December is the beginning of the summer employment season. December you say?!! Well, many of the students return home for the intercession break with visions of finding the perfect job opportunity in their hometown. This is a good time to explore what summer employment policies are at local companies and agencies. Many companies have a policy of hiring only children of employees during the summer, as the positions are in great demand. If this applies to you, then you want to get your bid in on a job as soon as possible. Letting the hiring manager know that you are actively interested in a summer job with the company is your first step to a successful hire.

During the winter break, you can scout out other employment possibilities, reconnect with your network of contacts, and let local employers know you are interested in returning home for a summer job and to keep you in mind. It is your job to stay connected with these employers and to remind them of your interest. Visit them during your spring break or call or e-mail them to express your continued interest. Don't forget to give them a local contact number as well as your phone number and address at school. This will insure better communication over the holiday or vacation breaks.

What if you are just beginning your summer job search and it is already May? You will have to work quickly. Make sure you have a resume that is ready to go. Have it critiqued by a professional in your school's career development center or have a resident director who knows you, critique your resume. You want to highlight your most impressive experience, which often includes non-paid experience and leadership activities. From a review of your resume, your interests might soon become apparent. Utilize your campus career center for ideas on job opportunities. Many career centers have summer job books listing job opportunities in the college area as well as other geographic locations. If you are seeking a summer camp job, there are many listings that college career centers receive, as well as databases of camps across the country. You can also contact your local state employment office for information on job opportunities in your area and elsewhere in the state. These state employment offices are also connected to the wider network of other state employment offices, so you might investigate employment options elsewhere in the country.

Temporary employment agencies are good sources of job opportunities. When you work as a temp, you can try out different job opportunities in various sites. You can get a taste for what it is like to work at a large corporate headquarters, as compared to a small office setting. This is your opportunity to test the waters and to hopefully clarify your career interests, while also gaining experience. You are also building your network of contacts.

Summer internships or co-ops are another valuable way to identify summer employment opportunities while also gaining practical experience in your academic field or area of career interest. Many schools award college credit for summer internships and some employers seeking interns also offer a salary or stipend. Talk to your college's career center or co-op office for further details on whether this is an option offered at your school. Many internship locations, particularly in the media, television or radio fields, do not offer pay for internships and require that the student receive some type of credit in order to be placed in the internship. Check out whether or not your school provides internship or field experience credit. Sometimes it is offered through a specific academic department, and other times it is offered through the university's field experience or co-op office. Even though you might not receive a regular salary for your work, the internship might provide wonderful experience that will pay-off in the long run. Students who have a track record of practical experience in the field are more likely to be offered regular employment.

There are a number of special publications that target internships and summer job opportunities. View some of the materials in the career section of your local bookstore or visit your college's career center. Many hold a valuable collection of career materials on opportunities in your field as well as job leads. Use directories or even yellow pages to identify possible employers in your field and call them with a brief pitch on your interest for summer employment opportunities. Follow-up with a resume and cover letter addressed to a specific person with correct title; letters addressed to "Dear Sir" or "To Whom It May Concern" are rarely noticed, never mind responded to.

Don't forget professional organizations in your career field. Many of these organizations sponsor jobs or internships for students seeking experience in the field. Check out websites for further details or links to other job related sites. Deadlines for these opportunities might be early in the spring semester so remember to seek these opportunities in late fall for next year's summer job search!

Your own college can also offer employment opportunities, especially if the university runs special programs for area youth, education camps or host summer conferences. You might find a job as a camp counselor, a program administrator, or a housing assistant for summer conferences. The Student Personnel Offices on campus can also provide valuable experience while you provide them with much needed help during the busy summer months. Put your student leadership to work while helping your own college or other campuses provide special summer programming.

The employment market is very good for most areas of the country, and this is a great time to be seeking summer job opportunities. Many can lead to on-going part-time jobs through the rest of your school career. This is a wonderful way for you to further develop your skills while gaining practical experience and making a contribution to your employer. You might even find that the summer experience has helped you to focus more on your career field and your academic work will seem more connected. Once September rolls around you can evaluate your summer experience and soon start the process for next year's summer employment search! Only 6 more months until December. Until then, have a great summer!

About the Author

Maureen Casey Gernert is Director of the Career Development Center at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT. She has almost 25 years experience in counseling, career planning, cooperative education and field experience programming. She has an MS Ed in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City. In addition to Maureen's college, career planning and counseling experience, she actively serves on the Advisory Board for the University's new Child Care Center, previously helping a grass roots effort to start a child care center on campus. She is active in the local community, Co-Chairing the Danbury School and Business Collaborative, which currently has close to 600 business professionals and community members mentoring in the Danbury Public Schools. She also serves as the University's Mentor Liaison for the DSABC. She actively serves on the Executive Board of the Society for Human Resource Management Western Connecticut Chapter, and has been recently nominated to serve on the Nominations Board for the Girl Scout Council of Southwestern Connecticut.