Most college students seek employment opportunities during the summer. They do this for two primary reasons:
- To earn money for college
- To gain experience in their field of study
Other students are more interested in gaining experience in their chosen field of work. They initially limit their summer job search to employers that meet their requirements. If they are successful, their summer job will give them some real world work experience that is directly related to the work they will seek after graduation. In that case, success on the job may lead to full time work in their field after graduation, often with the same employer.
Five Objectives:
1. Learn Something New - Students should view their summer job as an opportunity to learn something new. The job may provide the opportunity to operate equipment, write, speak, negotiate, sell, purchase, supervise, work with job-related technology and meet the needs and expectations of a supervisor or their customers. They will begin learn about life skills such as: deadlines, quality, money, people, problem-solving and goals.
2. Accept Responsibility - If a students are willing to accept responsibility and show their supervisors that they are reliable, they become more valuable to that organization. When people know that they can count on an employee to get something done, meet the deadline or prevent a problem, that employee gains respect from others, builds trust and adds value.
3. Contribute - The best employees have a clear understanding of organizational goals and do their best to see that those goals are met or exceeded. They actively look for ways to make something better, are willing to help other employees, exhibit the knowledge, skills and results that will produce quality products and exceptional services for customers.
4. Build Relationships - Building good relationships with the people who work within the company should be a goal of every employee. Summer employees who can be trusted, do a good job, help other employees, are good listeners and take the time to get to know needs and wants of other people are laying the groundwork for building solid relationships. People who like and trust one another are more likely to work well as a team and find enjoyment in their work. They may someday help the students who worked in summer positions to find a job after graduation or serve as an enthusiastic reference.
5. Demonstrate Capabilities - Not every employee can make good things happen. Employers want to see what students have to offer. They will evaluate the quality of their work, the quantity and results and will try to answer the following questions. Are the students reliable and trustworthy?. Can they solve problems? Are they creative? Can they lead others? Do the have initiative? Are their communication skills effective? Do they work hard? Are their technical skills adequate? How well do they get along with other employees? Do they make good decisions? Are they learning, growing and improving? All of these things are important to employers.
Wise students strive to impress their summer employers. When summer employees exceed employer expectations, their performance can lead to an employment offer for next summer, internships, recommendations, salary increases, promotions and great references. Exceptional performance may also lead to a great job offer when they graduate.
Summer employment should be viewed not only as a job where students can earn some money for college, those same summer jobs give students the opportunity to impress future employers and graduate schools.