How to find summer employment

AFS Team·23 May 2022·4 min read
How to find summer employment

Summer is a great time for students to find employment. With students returning from university to their hometowns and others graduating, vacancies will begin to appear. It is also a great opportunity for international students to find work because there are no visa restrictions on the number of hours you can work outside of term-time. Summer jobs provide the chance to earn some money either to save or spend over summer and the new academic year. Some companies may also provide student contracts which guarantee you work over the holiday periods throughout the year.


Here are five places where you may be able to find yourself a summer job or internship:


Indeed


One of the best places to start your search is Indeed. Firstly, it's free! You can tailor your job search down to the sector and role that you are looking for as well as the location. Using keywords and phrases such as ‘student employment’ or ‘summer’ may help you narrow down temporary work if this is what you are looking for. Indeed can also help with your application, providing CV and cover letter templates. Here you will be able to find temporary or permanent employment as well as summer internships.


Your University’s Career Website


The majority of universities have their own careers website which can help students find the work they are looking for. This is a great option if you are staying in your university accommodation over summer as you will be able to hunt for jobs in that area. Again, you can find temporary or part time work as well as internships. It is important to frequently check these sites as they are constantly being updated. You can also speak to your university’s careers service who will be able to offer personal and tailored support to help with your job hunting.


Companies’ websites


If you have a specific job or company in mind, check out their own website as they will advertise vacancies on there which may not appear on job boards. This is great if you are looking for a supermarket role as these companies often do this. Some supermarkets may also offer student contracts which will allow you to keep your job beyond summer and work when you are at home next or can transfer your employment to another store.


LinkedIn


An excellent place to look for work and to network. LinkedIn has its own job board where companies can advertise roles. Again, make sure to use keywords and phrases when searching for shorter term employment. You can also begin to network with your connections and see if any of them can offer summer employment. Some jobs are applied for directly on the website and others are external.


Visiting local places


Some companies choose not to operate online and may follow a more traditional job advertisement route. You may wish to walk around your local area and check the window of places to see if they are advertising for vacancies. This is particularly popular with cafes or independent stores. You could also print copies of your CV as well as a tailored cover letter and hand these into establishments you have an interest in working in.