Summer job hunting tips from a workplace expert

Students hoping to find a job for the summer should have begun sending out résumés by early March at the latest, says Sandra Levoy, a workplace expert and regional director at the staffing firm Robert Half.

But there is hope even for those starting their search later. A recent survey conducted by Robert Half found 64 per cent of the company’s clients plan to hire entry-level professionals in the first half of the year.

“There’s still a demand, even with the uncertainty going on in the marketplace,” Ms. Lavoy says.

Persistence is key. Send the résumé, follow up with an e-mail, call and ask to speak to human resources and explain why you want to work for the company, Ms. Lavoy says.

Some students who managed to land summer jobs did so for old-fashioned reasons: having the right experience and knowing the right people.

Rachel Bannister, a 19-year-old in Pickering, Ont., who is studying to be a math and drama teacher, landed a job as a counsellor at a camp at a theatre.

“I really want to be outside working with kids,” she says. “My cover letter was more focused on drama and my experience with acting.”

Her previous experience working at a camp last summer, along with her educational background, made finding her job relatively easy, she says.

Onnie Barbour did not have an easy time finding a job for the summer. Currently on a break from school, he has been applying for jobs since January.

“I submit résumés, I write up cover letters. I just never hear back from anyone,” says the 19-year-old from Toronto.

He estimates he was applying to 10 jobs a week, everywhere from grocery stores to retail outlets.

Mr. Barbour finally landed a job as a counsellor at a camp through a friend.

“She was able to put in a good word for me,” he says.