Top 5 Tips for College Students Working Summer Jobs

This is the time of year that many students have settled into their jobs for the summer. Some have landed positions that will help them to build their resume. However, many need to work jobs that are outside of their career field in order to save enough money for their education.

Many times, people who need to work these unrelated positions feel as if their job isn’t important toward their career goal. This is not the case. Any job can be a step in the right direction – no matter how menial it is.

You are probably wondering how a job such as repetitive factory work or food service can help you to build your career. It can benefit you in many ways such as building your work history, creating references, and gaining the ability to talk about your work habits in an interview.

Here are some hints on how to make the best of any type of summer or student job:

1. Take the job seriously. No matter how repetitive or simple your job is, do it better than expected. This will not only make you feel better about yourself because you are working toward a goal, it will get you noticed. You might even get the chance to do something more interesting because you performed your tasks well.

2. Be extremely reliable. This is one sure way to stand out from the crowd on a summer or student job. The number one complaint from managers regarding student workers is reliability. Aim to always show up on time and to avoid absences. Imagine yourself in an interview for a great job after you graduate, and you are able to say that you worked every summer while you were in school and didn’t miss a day of work. That is guaranteed to impress any employer!

3. Dress professionally. Although you may think that this is superficial, it’s a fact that people form impressions of you by the way you dress. When you are at work, dress one step above what is required of you. Refrain from wearing torn or dirty jeans, and save your t-shirts with colorful language or slogans for after work. If piercing is not the norm at your job, you may want to consider removing jewelry before you go to work.

4. Ask to return to the job next year. If you are not graduating and are interested in working for the same employer next summer, ask for the job. It is impressive to a future employer to see that you were allowed to come back to the same job in successive summers. This shows that the employer saw your work habits and was happy to see you return.

5. Get references. If you have followed the hints listed above, there is one final step in making the most of a student job – ask for reference letters. Doing this will give you the chance to get two or three great references before you have even begun your professional career.