Tips for quick and easy summer job hunting

With June quickly approaching, the summer job rush is nearly in full swing. There will be no more stressing about quizzes or homework for two and a half months. Since our schedules wil be more flexible, some students could be looking for a way to make money during their time off. Here are some tips to help with your summer job hunt.

1. Plan ahead.

Many places that are looking to hire students over the summer announce any openings as early as February and March. If you have just started looking for a job, no worries. It helps to land a job before college students come home for the summer to avoid any competition.

“February and March are actually the average time when most places look for employees over the summer and release any job openings,” College and Career counselor Kathy Fox said.  “Around this time is when businesses usually start looking for people to fit their open job positions by releasing help wanted ads or holding job recruitment days.”

2. Finding a workplace is one of the main components of finding a job.

For a better chance of finding an open job position, look into big name companies for example, Portillo’s or any that hire seasonally and is looking for workers over the summer. Camps, pools and park districts also need employees to meet their demand over the summer. Not only are there a lot of open positions, but summer–specific jobs also offer a good schedule, since you will know exactly how long you have to work there and managers understand teenager’s hours better.

3. Ask around to find any job openings people might know of.

If you have friends, family or classmates with summer or full–time jobs, ask if they know of any openings. This is a great way to find potential jobs.

“The biggest piece of advice I can give to students looking for jobs right now is networking,” Fox said. “Ask any people you know that have jobs if they know places that are hiring. It’s easier to find a job, and it makes the whole job finding process a bit easier.”

4. Get a permit.

Underclassmen with jobs are not as uncommon as many people think. Anyone under 16 can work limited hours with a worker’s permit. You can get a permit at the College and Career Center.

“A lot of underclassmen are also looking for jobs,” Fox said. “We issue around five worker’s permits each day. I would say the amount of upperclassmen and underclassmen looking for jobs over the summer is about the same.”

5. Have a range of options for potential jobs.

If you really want to work somewhere in particular, apply there. But, you should also have some backup options in case the job you don’t get the dream job.

“Don’t set really high expectations for getting a job at a certain place you want to work at,” sophomore Sarah Kamin said. “Sometimes, they’re just not hiring anybody new or might not reply back to you, so it’s better to apply to a lot of different places.”

6. Make sure the workload is reasonable.

Even though summer break clears your schedule, don’t get overworked by taking on too many hours. Summer jobs should be a fun way to earn money over break, but they should not be overwhelming.

“They are easier to handle because of no schoolwork, but harder because of the the seasonal rush,” junior Khilola Rasulova said. “You get to work more, though.”

7. Apply once you’ve found the right job.

Some places allow you to apply online or fill one out and return it in person. Positions can be filled up soon, especially with the large amount of students currently seeking work.

“Definitely apply now because they can be filled soon,” Rasulova said.

Whether you are already looking for a summer job, or you’ve just begun your search, hopefully these tips help make your job hunt just as fun as the rest of your summer.