The road to summer employment starts here
It’s time to start looking for your summer job. Most employers are now looking for students to fill their most sought-after summer positions. It’s time to polish up that resume and search for your top picks for summer employment.
The University of Guelph’s Coop and Career Services has a variety of resources available to you. There are numerous job fairs, postings on recruitguelph.ca (a website which lists job opportunities specifically for U of G students and Alumni), as well as resume and cover letter services. You should familiarize yourself with these services as soon as possible in order to really get the most out of your university experience.
In an ideal world, you may want to spend your summer working in a field in which you hope to start your career once out of university. This allows you to start working your way up in a company while still knowing it’s only four months until you come back to school. It’s hard getting coffee for someone each day or organizing files when you have a degree, but when you’re still working for that piece of paper, it’s an honour to get paid $14 per hour to do these tasks.
Take a look into the Undergraduate Research Assistantship program. While the application process is very competitive, the positions are often flexible and pay well. This is something you’ll want to look into immediately as the deadline for applications is fast approaching (Feb. 3).
If you’re looking for something off campus, or just in a different field, think about attending a job fair. The next one is coming up on March 6 and will be located in the University Centre courtyard. Bring a few resumes with you, and if you can, get some business cards printed so that you can hand them out.
Remember: whether you’re headed to a job interview or even just stopping by the job fair, always dress for success. First impressions are key, and dress pants paired with a blazer will do you wonders. Additionally, find something about yourself that differs from your peers, and brand yourself based on that difference. When it comes to a job search, you need to convince your future employer that you would be a wonderful addition to their company.
Be memorable, but also remember whom you spoke to – it shows that you’re really interested when you remember the name of the person you spoke to at a job fair. In some cases, the person who is at the job fair is also the hiring manager. Make sure to ask them for their card so you can follow up with them. Remembering key things they tell you is always a great idea, because you can bring up these things in the job interview. After you spend time at a booth, jot down some notes on the company, the position you’re interested in, what they’re looking for, and your initial thoughts on why you believe you would be a good candidate for the position.
Do keep in mind that you might not get your dream job over the summer. Make sure you apply to back up positions so you’re not stranded come May, and find yourself looking for something in a field you don’t want to be working in.
If you already have a summer job, consider getting a LinkedIn profile. It will allow you to keep on top of all of your achievements while in school so when you finally do go on that job search, you’ll be ready and your resume will be up-to-date.