As many of us are home for summer vacation, I’m sure my parents aren’t the only ones pushing their son or daughter to get a summer job. I know how picky I can be about things and I’m learning now that when it comes to a short term job, I can’t be as picky as I want to be. I have an older sister who goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to trying to get a summer job and I can’t even begin to count the amount of times that I have heard, “you need to be more like your sister with this summer job hunt.” With that being said, here are just a few things to keep in mind when looking for a job this summer.

1. Start early

When you are looking for a summer job, start looking at places that you want to work before the school year ends; on many applications you can put in when is the best time for you to start and the employers will take that into consideration. With that in mind, apply early, but put your absolute earliest start day in; like a day or two after you’ve moved back home for the summer.

2. Apply to anything and everything that catches your interest

Whether you want a job that is major oriented, or it’s just something that you think seems interested, apply. The more jobs that you apply to, the more chances that you get at an interview and a potential job offer. You won’t be complaining if you have too many job offers, but you will be if you have none, trust me.

3. Have a good resume

Put as many things as you can on your resume; anything that you think is relevant can catch the eye of a potential employer. It’s also a good idea if your resume is in reverse chronological order, so have the most recent work or volunteer experience first.

4. When you get an interview make sure that you are early and dressed appropriately

If you don’t know how to get to the place that your interview is, map out how you are going to get there before you leave, and make sure that you leave your house early. Give yourself extra time to get there in case you get lost, and make sure that you’re dressed appropriately for the job that you’re applying for. If it is with kids, don’t dress in a stiff business suit, if it’s for a big business, don’t wear jeans or sweats.

5. Think seasonally

There are tons of jobs out there that specifically made for certain seasons. A lot of retail places hire extra people in the summer and during the holiday season since more people are out shopping at that time. You could apply for a job for the summer season and then get called back to work the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons as well.

With all of those things being mentioned the only complaint that I have is how hard it can be to get a job when everywhere requires you to have some experience, but you can’t gain any experience because it can be hard to get a first job. Good luck to everyone out there applying for summer jobs!