Pure Michigan Talent Connect can aid summer job search

It’s hard to believe it’s almost summer, which means a hot topic is summer job opportunities. This is a great time to seek out seasonal positions as well as internships, apprenticeships and part-time employment.

The search for summer employment should have started months ago, so those who are still interested in finding a job need to dedicate time now.

To start looking for a job, the first thing to do is make sure all your professional documents are up to date. You want your application to be a positive reflection of your work, so it’s important to include relevant experience on your resume and have somebody assist with proofreading and feedback.

Once your materials are ready, you should spend some time thinking about what type of position you’d be interested in. It’s smart to be open-minded when it comes to searching for a summer job because it’s so close to the beginning of summer.

However, it’s also important to narrow down a role you’ll enjoy and thrive in. Pure Michigan Talent Connect (www.mitalent.org) is a great resource to see what jobs are available and what employers are hiring.

It’s not always likely that you’ll get an interview or be offered the job for the first position you apply for, so it’s smart to stick with it and keep applying for open positions.

If you already have secured a summer job or are thinking ahead to what you’ll do when you get a job, it’s important to think about what you want to get out of it. Whether it’s specific to the career you want or something more seasonal, there are ways that you can ensure you’re getting the most value of your time and experience.

One way to ensure you’re getting value out of a position – in addition to a paycheck – is by identifying different skills you can work on that will help you overall.

A summer job is a great way to practice soft skills, such as arriving on time, taking the role seriously and having a good work ethic. Soft skills are something all employers look for in candidates and are something that can be continuously improved.

If you build a good relationship with your current employer and colleagues, you never know what opportunities you may be presented or connected with.

Another way to ensure you’re getting value out of a summer position is by taking initiative and openly communicating with your employer about areas in which you’d like to grow.

One last tip is to take notes during your summer position so that you can reflect on what you did and leverage it for future job searching. By keeping a weekly journal, you’re able to easily remember the biggest takeaways when the summer finishes.

For more tips like this and assistance with finding a summer job, stop in one of the Capital Area Michigan Works! service centers in Lansing, Charlotte or St. Johns. For locations, visit www.camw.org.