Summer is a time to relax and get away from school, but for some students it means time to work at a summer job. Summer jobs are not always easy jobs to pass summer by with, sometimes it can be a full time job with long hours.

  Many students tend to apply early for summer jobs, before there is more competition in looking for one and getting it.

  For students who are not as aware of where to start looking, there is a board right outside of the College and Career center near the main office. This board has a few ideas of places that are currently looking for people to hire or volunteers.

  Summer is of course a great time to think about volunteering or working a job, since you might have more time on your hands.

  When applying for colleges it is more likely for it to capture their attention versus someone else who is applying that has no volunteer or work experience.

  “What looks good on portfolios and to colleges is a kid who isn’t lazy,” College and Career Center Coordinator Kendra Maddox said. “So if you are volunteering regularly or you have a job, that is what looks good. But don’t be so overworked that you do nothing well. You need balance.”

  When applying for a summer job it is always good to think about going in and making an impression when asking and returning the applications. First impressions matter most, as do interviews. It lets Business Managers understand who they might be hiring and if they think the applicant will be a good fit. It is a good idea to practice social skills.

  Almost every job wants employees with good social skills, which means good communication and handling problems that might occur, but this can vary depending on what job the applicant is applying to.

“I worked in construction, on a farm. Those were my favorite. I use to wash dishes in an Italian restaurant, I made espresso drinks at this place called Coffee People, which was this really cool coffee shop back in the day. I baby sat my nieces and nephews. I had a bunch of them, my dad had an office and I would go file stuff. All sorts of stuff.” said Frank Thomas, “Especially just the logistics of getting up in the morning and getting there on time and also making sure you ate so you don’t crash and get really grumpy and out of it. Just figuring all of that out, summer jobs really helped me. Also managing my money.”

  Practicing talking to others and trying to play out how might you react to a problem is good. Practice what you might say and go over a few things you might be asked when being interviewed. Going in a few times to get to know the staff members and to show dedication into wanting the job is always a good trick, and show that the applicant has enthusiasm, good social skills and a good attitude.

“Working at a food cannery, seething fruit. You always learn from anything. Primarily people skills, dealing with people I hadn’t dealt with in school before that are some what different than me.” said Mark Brittain

  “It’s more about having social skills and not staring at your phone 24 hours a day,” Maddox said.