Top tips to help you prepare for a summer job

Are you a student looking for a summer job? If so, this is a great time to prepare yourself, and start applying for summer jobs if you have not already done so.

Advertisements for jobs are already popping up and some of the closing dates are as early as this month. Businesses and industries like to know they have staff lined up so that they can organise timetables, training, paperwork, uniforms etc. So the closing dates for jobs will be earlier than you expect!

Top tips to help you prepare

Start preparing right now! It is never too early.

1. Decide on how much time you will have available to work during your holidays.
2. Create or update your CV.
3. Start searching for jobs and get applications in for any suitable jobs. Apply as soon as possible.

By “suitable” I mean:
– The job is nearby and you can get yourself there and back on time.
– You are able to commit to the working hours.
– You are confident in the role and can see yourself doing it the whole summer.

Make sure you are work-ready

Before you can start your job you need to make sure that you have the following organised:
– National Insurance (NI) Number
– Bank Account
– Tax File Number (TFN) – if applicable
– P54 or P60 if you have had one from any of your previous jobs.

Do you know about your rights and responsibilities? Take some time out to read about them before you sign any work contracts. You could also brush up on some basic workplace Health and Safety guidelines.

Put in time and effort

If you want to land yourself a good summer job, you will need to put in some work to help you boost your application and make it stand out from the crowd. I recommend approaching every application and interview with a positive and professional attitude. If you don’t make an effort, submit documents after deadlines, are unprepared or turn up to interviews late, you will not be making the best impression of yourself meaning you potentially could end up missing out on the job!

Find the right job opportunities

I would recommend starting your search as early as possible, if you leave it till the end of the summer term many summer vacancies may already be closed.

Decide what types of jobs and hours you are able to do, and look at the positions available that match your requirements. There are lots of websites where summer jobs are advertised such as the University of Lincoln’s Careers Portal, Indeed and Totaljobs, make a list of the jobs and their closing dates so that you can prepare your applications.

Good luck with your job search!