It’s summer. If you’re a student or a new grad that often means it’s time to find a job. Whether you’re looking into contract work for the summer months, a part-time job you can keep year round, or a new entry-level career now that you’ve (finally) nailed down your degree, finding your first job can be intimidating. If you’ve never held down a job before it can be difficult to know where to start. Below are 6 job tips if you're new to job hunting.

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Tips-To-Land-Your-First-Job.Jpg

1. put together a killer resume

Your resume is what represents you during your job hunt. It’s important to make sure it reflects everything you have to offer. Even though you don’t have a long work history to include, you have your education and key skills that you want to share with potential employers. For instance, are you an extrovert who’s great at working with people? Are you the one your friends turn to for help getting organized? Do you know how to use Photoshop reasonably well? Let employers know about these skills! If you’re not sure how to start, check out our resume writing tips.

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2. tap into the hidden market

Did you know that as many as half of all job opportunities are never publicly advertised? So how do all these unposted job opportunities find applicants? Often they’re filled internally or by friends and family members of current employees. Sometimes even recruiters don’t bother posting niche jobs online if they know they’ll be flooded with unqualified applicants – after all, what’s the point in receiving an application if it’s not worth the time it takes to read? To tap into this market of unposted jobs, ask friends and family if they know of opportunities at their workplace. Also, consider working with a recruitment agency like Randstad. We have access many job opportunities, some of which are public, some of which aren’t. We can help you find ones that matches your skill set.

3. consider internships

Summer jobs don’t have to be limited to job titles like ‘camp counselor’ and ‘burger flipper.’ If you’re looking for a simple no-stress way to make some cash for the summer, these jobs are perfect. However, if you’re already in school and looking for ways to expand on your education, an internship or co-op position may be a great idea. There are both paid and unpaid opportunities available, so keep an eye out for ones that fit you.

4. put your social media face on

In today’s smartphone-driven culture, everyone and their mom has a social media presence. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that hiring managers aren’t looking at your profiles and judging what kind of employee you might be based on how you act on social media.

You might think those silly drunk photos you posted last summer are funny, but a hiring manager probably won’t see things the same way. Before applying for a summer job, give your social media accounts a quick sweep and delete anything that might be seen as inappropriate or hinder your chances of landing a killer summer job.

5. focus on a few applications and do them right

The internet is saturated with job opportunities, so it can be tempting to slap together a generic resume and submit it to as many jobs as you can click on, then wait and see who bites. That’s the wrong way to look at applying for a job, even a summer job. 

Hiring managers are looking for passionate people who stand out from a crowd. If you’re submitting the same application to every job under the sun, it’s a guarantee that won’t be the case. Take a little more time crafting applications for jobs you really want. If you find yourself applying to a job you don’t really want, don’t!

6. think beyond city centres

If you’re a city dweller, it’s easy to forget that there’s a place beyond the urban jungle you live in. Job seekers often write off jobs that are out of the city limits. Small towns and suburbs need jobs filled too, and chances are the competition for these jobs is going to be a lot lower than those in densely populated urban areas.

 

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