A Little Ground Work Is Important Are you hoping to get a summer job? What steps are you taking to make that happen? Getting a summer, job in today's job market, is not as simple as walking up, getting an application, filling it out, and getting hired.
You must be prepared by doing the groundwork and your homework.
Here are some basic steps:
If you have questionable content on your Facebook, MySpace, or other Social Networking sites clean it up.
Over 60% of employers will check and with high school and college students, the percentage increases dramatically.
Employers do not wan employees that will potentially bring negative attention to their organization.
Google yourself and see what comes up.
If it is negative see what you can do to get positive information to come up at the top of the search.
Joining Facebook, LinkedIn, creating a Google profile, and posting to your blog; are all ways that you can add information to a Google search that will rise to the top.
Get people to click on your blog and these other materials to increase the visits and again raise the ranking.
Identify Your Target Work Location.
What is your short list of places where you would like to work this summer? Make a list and start working the list; contact anyone of interest.
Will They Be Hiring This Summer? Find out the summer hiring plans.
If they will not be hiring move on.
If it is a maybe mark it as such.
When Will They Be Hiring? What is their hiring timetable? How does that fit with your availability? If that does not fit your schedule what alternative arrangements might be available? How Many Do They Plan To Hire? How many will they be hiring? Will they hire everyone at the same time? What Is the Projected Start Date? How does the schedule fit with your schedule? If the schedules do not match, can you work something out? Is there any flexibility? What Is the Projected End Date? When do they see the summer jobs ending? Is there a set date or does it depend upon availability? When Will They Be Accepting Applications? Find out the date when they will start accepting applications and plan accordingly.
Make sure you are timely.
Check out the process ahead of time to ensure that you will have all the answers to the questions.
What Is the Application Process? Is the application process a kiosk at the employer's location (i.
e.
Target, WalMart, Albertsons, etc.
), is it on-line (CostCo, Home Depot, etc.
), or is it a paper process (McDonalds, Burger King, mom and pop, etc.
).
Know ahead of time and be prepared.
If it is a kiosk or on-line one of the first questions will be if you have filled out the application.
A "no" answer will be their first reason to dismiss you.
You must be prepared.
Do You Need a Resume? Some places may want a resume in addition to the application, be prepared and have one available.
List previous employment, organizations (especially leadership roles), and do not put references.
They will ask for those.
After the Application Process What Comes Next? Know what to expect after completing the application.
If the next step is to meet with a hiring manager, when are they available? If there are certain days and times, know as much up-front as possible.
This saves you the inconvenience, but even more it shows commitment, determination, and most of all interest! Ask when you can check back.
But do not simply say that say "When I follow up do you prefer I call or come in?" This approach gives them no option on whether you will follow up; only on how you will follow up.
What Do They Look For in An Employee? Employers do not discriminate, they just know what they want and prefer.
Visit the location and look around.
If the employees look like skaters (that is the desired image at some businesses) and you are clean cut that will tell you something.
It tells you what they look for and hire, but it also begs the question is this what you want? Have Them Describe Their Ideal Employee.
Have them describe their ideal employee.
You should get this as early as possible and ideally before completing the application.
If they are looking for people that are sports oriented, you want that on your application.
If they are academically oriented you want that on your application.
What Can You Do To Ensure That You Are the One To Be Hired? Express your profound interest in working for them and the reasons for that interest and then ask: What can I do so you will hire me? How can I prove to you that I am the one you want?
You must be prepared by doing the groundwork and your homework.
Here are some basic steps:
- Clean up your Social Networking sites.
- Identify your target work location.
- Will they be hiring this summer?
- When will they be hiring?
- How many do they plan to hire?
- What Is the Projected Start Date?
- What Is the Projected End Date?
- When will they be accepting applications?
- What is the application process?
- Do you need a resume?
- After the application process what comes next?
- Who is the hiring manager?
- What do they look for in an employee?
- Have them describe their ideal employee.
- What can you do to ensure that you are the one to be hired?
If you have questionable content on your Facebook, MySpace, or other Social Networking sites clean it up.
Over 60% of employers will check and with high school and college students, the percentage increases dramatically.
Employers do not wan employees that will potentially bring negative attention to their organization.
Google yourself and see what comes up.
If it is negative see what you can do to get positive information to come up at the top of the search.
Joining Facebook, LinkedIn, creating a Google profile, and posting to your blog; are all ways that you can add information to a Google search that will rise to the top.
Get people to click on your blog and these other materials to increase the visits and again raise the ranking.
Identify Your Target Work Location.
What is your short list of places where you would like to work this summer? Make a list and start working the list; contact anyone of interest.
Will They Be Hiring This Summer? Find out the summer hiring plans.
If they will not be hiring move on.
If it is a maybe mark it as such.
When Will They Be Hiring? What is their hiring timetable? How does that fit with your availability? If that does not fit your schedule what alternative arrangements might be available? How Many Do They Plan To Hire? How many will they be hiring? Will they hire everyone at the same time? What Is the Projected Start Date? How does the schedule fit with your schedule? If the schedules do not match, can you work something out? Is there any flexibility? What Is the Projected End Date? When do they see the summer jobs ending? Is there a set date or does it depend upon availability? When Will They Be Accepting Applications? Find out the date when they will start accepting applications and plan accordingly.
Make sure you are timely.
Check out the process ahead of time to ensure that you will have all the answers to the questions.
What Is the Application Process? Is the application process a kiosk at the employer's location (i.
e.
Target, WalMart, Albertsons, etc.
), is it on-line (CostCo, Home Depot, etc.
), or is it a paper process (McDonalds, Burger King, mom and pop, etc.
).
Know ahead of time and be prepared.
If it is a kiosk or on-line one of the first questions will be if you have filled out the application.
A "no" answer will be their first reason to dismiss you.
You must be prepared.
Do You Need a Resume? Some places may want a resume in addition to the application, be prepared and have one available.
List previous employment, organizations (especially leadership roles), and do not put references.
They will ask for those.
After the Application Process What Comes Next? Know what to expect after completing the application.
If the next step is to meet with a hiring manager, when are they available? If there are certain days and times, know as much up-front as possible.
This saves you the inconvenience, but even more it shows commitment, determination, and most of all interest! Ask when you can check back.
But do not simply say that say "When I follow up do you prefer I call or come in?" This approach gives them no option on whether you will follow up; only on how you will follow up.
What Do They Look For in An Employee? Employers do not discriminate, they just know what they want and prefer.
Visit the location and look around.
If the employees look like skaters (that is the desired image at some businesses) and you are clean cut that will tell you something.
It tells you what they look for and hire, but it also begs the question is this what you want? Have Them Describe Their Ideal Employee.
Have them describe their ideal employee.
You should get this as early as possible and ideally before completing the application.
If they are looking for people that are sports oriented, you want that on your application.
If they are academically oriented you want that on your application.
What Can You Do To Ensure That You Are the One To Be Hired? Express your profound interest in working for them and the reasons for that interest and then ask: What can I do so you will hire me? How can I prove to you that I am the one you want?