Finding a Summer Job  Summer Employment Programs  Identifying Other Potential Employers  Researching Potential Employers  Making Contact  Career Planning Services

Summer Employment Programs  Student Works Program (on-campus)  Federal Student Work Experience Program - FSWEP (  Nova Scotia Government Opportunities for Students (  Youth Employment Strategy Summer Work Experience (  Entrepreneurship programs – Create your own job! (

Identifying Other Potential Employers Visible Job Market Other employment websites Service Canada Job bank ( Departmental bulletin boards Company postings (in house, websites) Employment Agencies Summer Opportunities Fair:

Identifying Other Potential Employers Hidden Job Market (80-90% of job market!) Networking Newspaper articles Company newsletters and websites Yellow Pages Directories related to your field of study (Directory of Community Services, Business Directory for the Metro Halifax Chamber of Commerce:

Common Types of Employers that Hire Summer Students  Summer Camps  Municipal Parks and Recreation Departments  Tourism related departments, parks, and organizations (i.e. NS Dept. of Tourism and Culture:  Various businesses looking for summer casual help

Researching Potential Employers  Research products and services they offer, what they look for in employees, application methods, special initiatives, recruitment schedules  Researching the employer will help you identify what you can contribute to the organization. It is also great preparation for the interview!

How To Research A Potential Employer  Contact the organization directly  Use the Career Planning Services online Employer Website directory (look under Job Search Resources)  Visit the organization’s website  Use your network – professors, family, friends may be familiar with the organization and know of “hidden” job opportunities

Preparing Your Promotional Tools  What is a resume?

Preparing Your Promotional Tools  First and foremost a resume is a marketing tool  Know your audience – the resume should be targeted to the position for which you are applying  What are they looking for?

Preparing Your Promotional Tools  A great resume can land you an interview  A bad resume will not make the paper cut and will kill your chances  How resumes are reviewed: the 30 second scan

Preparing Your Promotional Tools: Resume Tips  Prepare a professional resume  Keep your resume to a maximum of 2 pages  Use bullets or point form rather than paragraphs  Avoid use of “I”  Choose the format that best demonstrates you have the skills for the job  Include headings such as: Education, Relevant Skills, Employment, Extra-curricular Activities  Use Action Verbs (i.e. monitored, supervised, tested) and accomplishment statements)

Preparing Your Promotional Tools: Resume Tips Format  Choose the format that most effectively markets you! –Chronological – lists past employment in reverse chronological order –Skills based (functional)- focus on your skills versus jobs you’ve held –Combination – combine elements of both

Preparing Your Promotional Tools: Resume Tips ChronologicalSkills BasedCombination Pros - most familiar - easy to read - widely accepted - great for people with little career related experience - minimizes gaps in employment - offers best of both - allows you to be creative in how it’s put together Cons-not the best choice if your experience is not career related or if you’ve switched jobs often - difficult to organize - employers may think you are hiding something -more time consuming to organize - can be difficult to read if not organized carefully

Preparing Your Promotional Tools: Cover Letter Tips  Always address your cover letter to the appropriate individual  Maximum 1 page  Use “confident” language  Avoid “I think”, “I feel”  Always close by thanking them for reviewing your application

Making Contact If applying for an advertised job: Follow their application instructions; Send a professional resume and cover letter tailored to the position Make sure you have your cover letter addressed to a particular person Follow-up after you apply to ensure they received your information, to restate your interest, and to find out their timeframe for setting up interviews

Making Contact If accessing the hidden job market: Make initial contact by mail, or telephone Goal is to secure an in-person appointment When making direct contact (phone, in-person), always have your resume with you, prepare a short script about yourself and what you can do for the employer (related education, experience, interest in the organization), be prepared for an informal interview Options: directly ask about employment opportunities, or ask for an information interview

Sample Script: First Contact 1. Introduce yourself: name, degree “My name is _____. I am completing a degree in _____ at MSVU.” 2. Establish common ground (mention referral source, common interest) “My professor, Dr. ____ suggested I get in touch with you to find out more about career opportunities in the field of ____” 3. Show that you know something about the organization (research!) “I read an article in the Chronicle Herald recently that said (name of organization) is expanding its services.” (or other appropriate comment) 4. Ask for an in-person meeting “I’m really interested in finding out more about this expansion and the type of work you do, and I’m wondering if I could meet with you briefly to ask some questions?”

Sample Information Interview Questions  How did you get started in this type of work?  What skills or personal qualities are necessary in this career?  How is your organization being affected by the recent expansion of its services? (or other appropriate question showing your knowledge of what is going on in the organization)  Does your organization offer volunteer or summer employment opportunities for students interested in gaining more experience in this field?  Where else could I find people involved in this type of work that I may not have thought of? (get referrals if appropriate)  Note: –Try to find a way to show how your education/experience can help meet the organization’s needs (give examples of related educational projects, work experience etc.) –Bring your resume to the information interview- only provide it if asked

Career Planning Services Available To Help You With Your Job Search  Resume Critiquing Service  Interview Preparation workshops  Mock interviews  Resource Library – Canada Student Employment Guide, Summer Jobs in Canada  Individual Counselling  New jobs posted daily at: