To help you look for a summer job
With many Canadians suffering through one of the coldest winters in years, we’re all looking forward to summer. That is, unless you’re a student under pressure to find a summer job. Well, here are five things to keep in mind when you’re looking to make some money this summer:
1Plan for an unpaid internship. If you need to work for free to break into the job market, budget accordingly. “Have a handle on what money is coming in, if anything, and understand that if there isn’t money coming from the internship, is there an opportunity for something part time or a couple of evenings a week so you have something to live off of,” says Melissa Jarman, director of student banking at RBC.
Work for yourself.
2 Consider selling your skills or manpower to create income. Start a landscaping, painting or tutoring service. Make sure you put some money aside over the next few weeks for startup costs and do your market research to know how much you should be charging. “Create a small business plan. Are you going to have any startup costs? How are you going to build your client list? Can you work a network?” In Ontario, if you are between 15 and 29 years of age, you could get up to $3,000 from the government to help you start.
3 Get an early start. Big companies that have internship programs are often recruiting as early as January. If you have a “dream” company in mind, find out what their deadline for job applications is. Troll online databases and job banks. Use social media. Ask friends and family if they know of any openings. Apply across the country. Write a kick-butt cover letter.
4 Make the most of your paycheque. Once you are making some money, make it work for you. “The most classic piece of advice we give is, ‘Pay yourself first,’ ” Ms. Jarman says. “If my paycheque goes into the bank on Thursday, I’d have the money come out right away on Thursday. You don’t really notice it. It also forms a really good habit.”
5 Don’t dismiss jobs that are not in your field.
“Anything that can build up your resumé in the future is going to be a benefit,” she says. “Whether it’s lifeguarding or working in a grocery store, those jobs are not necessarily in a field that postsecondary students aspire to. But you have the choice between earning an income and not earning an income and you’ll pick up a lot of soft skills.”
mleong@nationalpost.com Twitter.com/lisleong
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