Whether or not you had a job during the school year, it’s time to start thinking about getting one for the summer. Even in today’s economy, there are plenty of jobs for high school and college students. In fact, it’s probably a good time to be a student, because companies will be less willing to pay for experienced employees that require higher salaries and more benefits. Still, it can be somewhat difficult to find a job.
Here are a few places to start looking for high school and college jobs.
Career Center
Once you get over your distaste for joining the working world, you’ll have to find a job to apply for. As a student, you have quite a few options.
Probably the best is to talk to your school counselor, academic advisor, or career development center about finding a job or an internship. If you’re not sure of the difference between the two, we will give you the short version: an internship is just like a job, but one of the objectives of it is to gain experience in a career field (they also may be unpaid).
Summer internships are more common for college students—especially upper classmen—but high school students can also find them. Companies will often contact schools to let them know that internships or jobs are available, and your advisor can help you find one.
Online Search
Using the internet and sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder can be a great help, because they are very popular with employers. You’ll be able to view thousands of jobs on these sites, and it’s pretty likely that you’ll be able to find at least one that you want to apply for.
If there are large companies near where you live, it’s also a good idea to go directly to their websites and check out their “Employment” or “Careers” sections. Searching for “jobs [your city]” may also help you find out about opportunities that aren’t listed on employment sites. It’s also possible to use social networking sites to find jobs.
Offline Connection
One underutilized resource for finding jobs is your parents. Not only might they know about job opportunities where they work, but they also might know other people who know of jobs (and who might even be able to help you get an interview).
Any other adults that you can talk to will also be beneficial. The more connections you have, the better your chances of finding someone who can help you out!
Local Company
After you’ve exhausted your other options, you can resort to one of the less effective measures—driving around and looking. Smaller companies (especially restaurants and small shops) will put out “Hiring” or “Help Wanted” signs. If you see one, stop inside and talk to the owner about scheduling an interview.
Final Word
No matter how you choose to find a job, be persistent! There are a lot of job seekers, and fewer and fewer jobs. Don’t give up if your first few choices don’t work out. The more applications you send out, the more likely you are to get an interview (and, of course, a job).