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It’s no secret that it’s difficult to do or buy most of the things you want when you don’t have the money. Plus, with summer vacation approaching, everyone is in a rush to grab the best jobs available to students like us. And top it off, all your friends seem to be getting the jobs they applied for, leaving you to keep searching and searching and searching…
BUT FEAR NOT!
While job hunting seems to feel more like a boxing match than thumb wrestling, there is no doubt that you can come out of it as the winner, and more importantly, with a job. With these tips and tricks, your chances of getting hired will be significantly higher. It’s all a matter of having what the employers are looking for!
1. Brainstorm some possible jobs!
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Although it might be easier to just apply for whatever job there is and wait for a call, it’d be ideal to brainstorm the ones that appeal to you the most and suit your interests. Do you like music? Do you enjoy being around children? Are you athletic? Do you know your way around the kitchen? Do you love animals? The possibilities are endless with this one. Once you have a list of jobs you’d like to apply for, go online or visit the store/organization/company and ask for an application. Some websites you can go to include mall websites (Southcentre, Chinook), Heritage Park, the Calgary Zoo, your local YMCA, and the Youth Employment Centre!
2. Have connections
As an active job-seeker, it’s always beneficial to have connections within the company you’re applying for. With friends working at the YMCA, grocery stores, and fast food chains, I’m constantly asking them if their work is hiring! Tell them that you’re looking for a job and if they’d like, they can suggest you to their hiring manager. When you have those connections, you’ll have someone to stand by you and advocate for you as to why you should get a position. Plus, it doesn’t hurt working beside someone you know!
3. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer!
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If your mind is set on certain jobs, it’d be best to have volunteer experience related to those lines of work. Employers will notice that you’re committed to having the job as you have put extra work into making it happen. If you have minimal to no work experience, but have a long list of volunteer experience, employers will appreciate that. Since we’re only youths applying for our first jobs, they can’t expect to see a lot of work experience, so this is when volunteering plays an important role. So if you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, check out Youth Central or read my blog post on volunteering at local festivals this summer.
4. Update your cover letter and resumé
More often than not, employers will ask that you have a cover letter and resume on-hand so they can easily see your qualifications. Cover letter and resume writing can be daunting, but as soon as you have a clear-cut plan for what experience, achievements, and skills you want employers to know of, you’ll have great ones in no time! In addition, it’s very important to always update your cover letter and resume so companies will have your most recent information. I suggest you keep your cover letter and resume to one page each because there is such a thing as having too much information! Keep your content relevant, professional, and convincing. Also, use action words that will entice employers to choose you over other applicants.
Cover letter tips can be found here:
- Government of Canada – Services for Youth
- Student Success Centre
- Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS)
Resume tips can be found here:
5. Have reliable references!
Whether it’s from a previous employer, a teacher, a coach or volunteer coordinator, there are tons of ways you can get references for when a company asks for it! These people are also advocates for your redeeming qualities as a prospective worker. Make sure you know these people well, they know you will be using them as references, and you have their contact information readily available. When it comes down to it, references are the key to affirming the employer’s belief of hiring you!
6. Have flexible availability
From previous experience, what stopped me from getting hired was my lack of availability. Being able to work a certain amount of hours weekly is the deal breaker for some employers because they want to get as much hours from their employees as possible. Working 25-30 hours a week (part-time) is ideal. Especially as summer approaches, your availability should be good unless you have other commitments. But even then, if having a job is a main priority of yours, there has to be some compromise!
7. Get interview-ready!
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After finding a job, there is another challenge possible employees have to get past: the dreaded interview. From another previous experience, job interviews are quite the task when you don’t know what to say or do. Once you’ve figured out a time and day for your interview with the hiring manager, search up interview questions for the position you are interested in. Make sure you can fully and confidently answer the questions as employers want to see that you know what you’re doing. Dress appropriately for the interview and have your cover letter and resume with you just in case! Answer honestly and keep your head held high. This is your final  chance to show them that you can represent the company and what they stand for!
8. Don’t give up!
Even when you have the qualifications or make it to the interview, some prospective jobs just don’t happen and that’s okay! Circumstances have to perfectly come together in order to get hired and when it finally does, you’ll be glad that the other jobs didn’t work out. Though we wish that getting a job can happen in no less than one try, we all just have to keep searching and searching and searching. It happens eventually.
“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Best wishes,
Kandace  🙂
