Are you an unemployed student? Here’s how to find a summer job
Full-time gigs for students and recent grads that pay well can be a challenge to land — especially with widespread hiring freezes across many organizations at the moment.
If you’re an out-of-work (or limited work) student, recent grad, or a parent of one who’s living at home and not making an income, try these ideas.
Always be on the lookout for the work you want
Popular search engines students and recent grads can use to source employment (even if it’s just for the summer) are Indeed.com, Jobpostings.ca and Monster.ca. The Youth and Students job bank (click the student button) through the federal government can be a good resource as can exclusive postings found through your campus career centre.
I’m definitely seeing more and more students use LinkedIn to help find jobs (click the jobs tab) and network with others. If you’re using LinkedIn to help land work, make sure your profile stands out from the crowd and use keywords throughout that are associated with the kind of job you want, such as “marketing specialist,” “production co-ordinator” or “textiles expert.”
It can be disheartening to not have the work you want right away, but don’t give up on looking for opportunities. They may just come up when you least expect it, and they may also be a stepping stone to something closer toward the work you want to do.
No main hustle? Try a side hustle … or a few
Side hustles aren’t doing anything illegal; they are simply another income stream that isn’t generally in the form of a 9 to 5 job. Because the pay can be sporadic, most students or grads need more than one side hustle to make the equivalent of a well-paying job. When choosing a side-hustle, make it count by choosing something you like doing and/or that could be related to your field of study.
Here are a few top side hustles for students: dog walking (try to get a few clients on the same block to optimize your time), house sitting, nannying (for any age), personal assistant to a busy professional (perhaps you’re in charge of ordering their groceries), slinging drinks at a restaurant (it’s a great way to make tips and learn customer service), work at carnivals and festivals, freelance services like fixing computers or helping people declutter their homes, or earn a commission by selling a product by way of physical or virtual door-to-door (could be fitness gear, makeup, skin care, knives and more).
I completely understand that some of these ideas make your skin crawl, but one thing is for sure — they’ll add the words “resourceful” and “hardworking” to your LinkedIn profile, which are golden words for future employers — and you’ll probably have fun in the process.
Start your own business
If you’ve got a small business idea that takes limited to no capital to start up — like lawn maintenance, social media management or editorial services — give it a try. You’ll need to build your own website, set up a business page on Facebook, start promoting it to your ideal customers, test out your prices and get testimonials from happy clients. If you make a decent living from it, you may just make it your career as an entrepreneur.
Apply for scholarships like it’s a full-time job
Two thirds of scholarships go unclaimed every year because students don’t bother applying, and therefore, it’s a huge financial mistake not to apply. There is so much money available in scholarship funding that it’s worth treating the application process as another side hustle. Online resources, such as Yconic.com, Universities Canada and ScholarshipsCanada.com, compile lists of thousands of scholarships being offered.
Gaining experience through volunteering is another way to focus your career efforts and add credibility to your resume. So, if you’re flush with time, apply your skills to an organization you care about and that could use your support.
This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.
