For all students over the age of 16, paid employment is a legal option for them. Whether they wish to work at w/e’s, during the week or indeed for the summer months of May, June, July, August and September they have to treat looking for a part-time job like a full-time job. How to get a part-time job in this current climate will be challenging as you might well expect. For a lot of students, a part-time job is for the summer months i.e. when the formal educational curriculum finishes…but you need to be looking for that part-time job right now.So, what are the ways of securing a part-time job?
- Developing a good Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Developing a good Cover Letter (CL)
- Doing an EYK List
- Doing an EPE List
- Time-management
Developing a good CV:
Key to any part-time job hunt campaign is a CV. Potential employers will always ask you for information about your education, work experiences, interests and this usually comes in the form of a CV. Whether you give it to the employer on e-mail or on paper doesn’t really matter, though remember that it is easy to choose the Delete button on the keyboard. And if you can afford it, seek professional help; this document is your marketing tool, it is the employers first impression of you.
Developing a good CL:
Just as important as the CV is the CL. This is a summary of your CV and again professional help should be considered. Again this CL can be the employers’s first impression of you and you know that you cannot make a first impression a second time. This CL is often times used instead of the CV, as your CV should not be given to any potential employer offering part-time jobs unless they request it from you. Your CL is another way of approaching a potential employer professionally (and differently!).
Doing an EYK List:
An EYK List is an Everyone You Know List. Yes, you need to write down everyone you know, starting with immediate family; parents / guardians, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts first cousins, friends, student colleagues, teachers, lecturers, tutors, social acquaintances, previous work colleagues, sports acquaintances, neighbours until you know nobody else. Put them all on paper making no judgement of who / what they are just yet. When you don’t know anyone else (by the way this list will take at least a week to do properly!), review the list highlighting people you feel comfortable about meeting and asking them how they can help you source a part-time job or who do they know who might have part-time jobs. You never ask them for a job. Remember you don’t know who they know. And a lot of jobs are filled through people who know other people.
Doing an EPE List:
An EPE List is an Every Potential Employer List. Who are the employers / people in your locality that have part-time jobs available, who would you like to work for, who could potentially offer you a job? Make a list! Consider can this employer help you or be a stepping stone towards your ideal career or indeed be linked to your education / studies? Employers need to know that you are looking for a job. Find out who they are and then approach them with your CL or your CV.
Time-management:
Key to securing a part-time job soon is managing the part-time job hunt campaign. And this time management is about setting time aside each day to part-time job-hunt. Doing a timetable of when to job-hunt a midst your busy educational is crucial. Key here is discipline. The more people you write to, the more you people you meet, you will get a ‘Yes’.
And You Just Need One Yes…!
