Looking for the perfect summer job is a lot like buying a new pair of shoes. It’s all about personal style and finding that perfect fit. If only it were as easy to find a job as it is to find designer stilettos. But if you plan ahead and prepare now, you’ll be much closer to landing the job of your dreams. By Geneviève D’SouzaWhat you need to do:
• Identify your interests
• Create a professional image
• Talk to the right people—network
• Research the summer job market
• Create a résumé
• Practice your interview skills
• Create a professional image
• Talk to the right people—network
• Research the summer job market
• Create a résumé
• Practice your interview skills
Get to know yourself
List your interests and personality traits. Creative? Apply to an art store; you’ll be inspired and meet many different artists. Are you patient, love kids and the outdoors? Try connecting within your community and look into working as a day camp leader. The trick is to choose work that you love, and chances are, you’ll find a job that pays you to do it. Kirsti Stubbs, Recruiter, Strategic Sourcing at Starbucks, stands behind their tag line, Love What You Do. “Keep an open mind and grab hold of every opportunity! I never would have thought that working at the GAP would give me the experience to get an internship with Vancouver Fashion Week or that making lattes at Starbucks would help me years later to get my current job in HR at the Regional office,” says Stubbs.
Create a professional image
“Your image is your visual résumé and a good selling tool,” says Toronto image consultant Deborah Boland. “People form opinions on what you say, what you write, and how you look. Clothing is a silent language, it affects your performance and how you feel.”
Boland’s tips for dressing for job interview success:
• Skip the distracting, sexy, and trendy stuff
• Keep your look clean & professional
• Have an after-work image, but don’t take it to work
• It’s all about the ABCs: Appearance, Behaviour, Communication
• Be sure to make good eye contact, have a firm handshake,
good posture, combed hair, and simple, clean makeup
• Keep your look clean & professional
• Have an after-work image, but don’t take it to work
• It’s all about the ABCs: Appearance, Behaviour, Communication
• Be sure to make good eye contact, have a firm handshake,
good posture, combed hair, and simple, clean makeup
Need help with your image? Consultants like Boland run courses that benefit young people entering the workforce. Find inspiration from images that show you what works on the job. Your professional look is like the weather. People notice it when it’s good and when it’s bad.
Stay tuned for part 2!
