For a majority of people, summer is a time to soak up the sun, barbeque with friends and family, enjoy the outdoors and partake in many activities associated with the season. For many of you, it is equally as important to be on the hunt for that summer job! Whether you are a student on summer break, a recent graduate or merely a job seeker taking advantage of summer opportunities, there is one tip to keep in mind: perform in your summer job as you would at any career oriented position.
As long as you are willing to put in the effort, your summer job can present many beneficial advantages which can play an important role in helping you progress towards your career. These advantages will more than likely not be handed to you, but will come easy as long as you are working hard every day. Each advantage listed below is something you should keep in mind as you start each shift, and you should understand the rewards that can come with it.
Networking
Networking is one of the most efficient ways to get your name out there, and help increase the chances to find your dream job. Studies show that 65-80% of the people looking for their next position, find it through someone they know or have met. Correspondingly, one of the biggest perks of many summer jobs is that they present endless opportunities to talk to people and expand your network. You will never know if the next customer in line, parent at the pool or indecisive shopper you help is the key to get your foot into your next full-time position. That being the case, it is important to always work as diligently as possible. You don’t want to miss an opportunity to show off your skills in front of a potential new contact.
Confidence
Confidence is one of the best qualities to have for any employee, and every position you hold gives you a new opportunity to build your confidence. A summer job is no different than any position in this aspect, and is a perfect place to rapidly develop more confidence. This is because any seasonal job puts an employee in a situation where they need to quickly learn their tasks due to a short estimated employment timeframe. In any scenario where you have to learn how to excel at something quickly, you will get a sense of pride once it is learned, which in turn helps build your sense of confidence. As long as you work as hard as possible to excel in all of your new responsibilities, you will greater your chances to gain more confidence. The newly found confidence may help in future job interviews, help you expand your network and overall may help you seem more attractive as an employee. As stated by the author of Ditch. Dare. Do!, William Arruda, “Confidence is important because it is the most attractive personal brand attribute. When someone exudes confidence, we want to work with them… Confidence is the number one byproduct of the personal branding process.”
Experience
No matter the job or the company, each position you hold helps you build experience. Even if your job is not directly related to your career of choice, there are some beneficial attributes that you can gain from it. Some examples of the physical attributes that every position gives you is gaining a better sense of time management, people skills and learning how to complete the new tasks at hand. No matter the experience, you are being given an opportunity to better yourself and learn new skills! Besides the physical experience in completing your duties, your job also gives you the time to gain experience in your personal growth. You are given the opportunity to learn how your peers present themselves in the line the work, which is something you can mirror in future endeavors. Every position you hold, is another opportunity to see how you should and should not act in the working world.
While working at your summer job, remember that you will only get out of it, what you put into it. It is easy to get more than just a paycheck out of your summer employment, as long as you are willing to put in effort. Now get out there, and allow your new experience to benefit your future!
Still looking for summer employment? Apply online.
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