 How summer jobs influence your future…

Think summer jobs are just about earning some cash? Think again. While making money may be your primary goal, having a summer job can actually have a bigger influence on your future than you may realize. Check out the long-term benefits of working during the summer.summer jobs  Learning work ethic. A strong work ethic (values based on hard work and discipline) is vitally important no matter what job you pursue, and having a summer job allows you to develop those values.  Work ethic can include being dependable, taking initiative, having a positive attitude, etc.  Since work ethic is based on routine/habits, it is crucial that you are persistent in forming good habits from the get-go once you obtain a summer job. Make a habit of showing up on time, focusing on your daily tasks (don't procrastinate!), being optimistic, going above and beyond what is required of you, etc.  Employers place great emphasis on having a reliable work ethic, so gaining that ethic now will benefit you significantly in your future career. resume/how-summer-jobs-influence-your-future#.UdMhQa7T4_g

 Obtaining summer employment is a great opportunity for you to build references for future jobs.  Relatives and friends generally do not make valuable references, so it's crucial to start building a professional reference list early.  For each summer job that you have, be sure to network and develop positive relationships with employers, supervisors, coworkers, etc.  Before leaving your summer job, ask your managers or coworkers if they will serve as references. If they agree, get their contact information and keep in touch with them from time to time via phone/ .references Building References

 So granted, the summer position you currently have may not be your dream job. If you are working in a restaurant, you may hate busing tables and cleaning up after people.  You may go home every night with a headache after your babysitting job.If you are a camp counselor, the great outdoors may not seem so great if you are covered with bug bites and poison oak. That office assistant job you thought would be interesting has turned out quite boring. Etcetera, etcetera.  However, by working these summer jobs, you will have the chance to find out what you like and don't like; and it will give you incentive to continue your education so you have the skills to move on to bigger and better opportunities. Years from now, you will appreciate your chosen career more if you have worked in multiple summer positions.

 You may be on the opposite end of the spectrum in regards to the above point. Instead of disliking your summer position, you may have a summer job that you absolutely love and can see yourself pursuing a career in that field.  If this is the case, then the summer position that you have now can help you show dedication to the company. By showcasing your strong work ethic and being an exceptional employee summer after summer, you will prove your commitment to the company.  In turn, this may help you achieve a full-time position at the company (after graduation) with opportunity for advancement.  As you can see, there are many long-term benefits to having a summer job; the extra cash to buy all those back-to-school clothes is just a bonus. Have a fun and productive summer!

The High School Resume  As a high school student, you may think that you don't need a resume until you are about to graduate from college and begin your search for a full-time job.  However, high school students need resumes just as much as college students do. From getting into college to obtaining a part-time job, a resume is essential because college recruiters and employers alike want to see a brief summary of your abilities, education, and experiences. getting into collegeobtaining a part-time job  Here is what you should include in your high school resume.

Heading Your name, address, telephone number, and e- mail address should all go at the top of your resume. Be sure to use a permanent address and telephone number. Also, remember to use an e- mail address that sounds professional. is the standard format for an address when using it on a resume. Do not use an address such as It just doesn't sound professional.e- mail address that sounds professional

Objective An objective lets college recruiters or potential employers know your main goal. If your target is a college recruiter, tailor your objective to that specific school. For example, your objective may be, "To earn a degree in Psychology at Boston College." If you want to get a part-time job, you will need to modify your objective to that particular job, such as "To obtain a part-time sales position with Hollister."

Education/Academics In the education section, list the schools you have attended. Be sure to include your GPA if it is a 3.0 or higher. You can also mention any academic honors, awards, and/or recognitions that you have received. These can include honor-roll recognitions, essay- writing awards, science competitions, etc.

Experience The experience section should briefly give an overview of work experience that has taught you valuable skills. In this section, include: title of position, name of organization, location of work (town and state), dates of employment, and description of work responsibilities. Be sure to use action words to describe your job duties, such as sold, created, processed, etc. Since many high school students do not have a lot of work experience, you can also describe class projects in which you have learned important skills or even leave this section out all together and concentrate on the education/academics and additional information/extracurricular sections.

Additional Information/Extracurricular Activities The additional information or extracurricular section should be used to place key elements of your background that do not fit in any other section. You may want to include: special skills, leadership roles, volunteer experiences, participation in sports, band, yearbook, etc. This section is where you can demonstrate your uniqueness. leadership rolesvolunteer experiences

References  Be sure to ask people if they would serve as your reference before you give their names out. You do not need to include your reference information on your resume.  A statement at the bottom of your resume that says, "References available upon request," is sufficient.  Having a resume in high school is just good sense. You never know when a recruiter at a college fair or a potential employer might request one.

What is a resume? Why do you need one? Who is it for?

 Resume Generator Resume Generator

Tricia Graenemon 123 Anywhere Lane Two Ville, CA Objective To get a challenging job as a Customer Service Manager so that I can learn more and excel in my career. Education B.A. with a major in Communications and a minor in Spanish, University of California, Two Ville, California; GPA 3.6; President of Spanish Club in 1998 Experience Green Clothiers of Northern California, Two Ville, CA Customer Service Manager 5/23/ Present Recruited, trained and managed 15-member team Ensured continuous delivery of outstanding customer service Redesigned, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues Assisted customers when and where needed Fine Sports Wear International, Two Ville, CA Customer Service Manager 3/2/ /13/2003 Recruited, trained and managed 35-member team Ensured continuous delivery of outstanding customer service Designed, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues Assisted customers when and where needed Exceeded annual goals in key metrics including profit, sales, employee retention and customer service Customer Service Representative 7/12/ /29/2003 Assisted with customer sales of women’s and children’s sportswear Awarded Salesperson of the Year in 1999 and 2002 for exceeding set sales productivity Trained 14 new representatives functioning as lead trainer, providing ongoing guidance and constructive feedback Achieved lowest returns percentage than all other coworkers Hobbies Skiing, hiking, cooking, Karate, playing with my two cats and shopping! Tricia Graenemon 123 Anywhere Lane Two Ville, CA Customer Service Manager Seasoned, results-oriented manager with extensive experience in the retail industry with a 10-year track record of success. Effective leader skilled in developing a results-oriented, productive team with customer-focused training and support. Exceptional ability to build rapport with customers and direct-reports to create customer and employee loyalty. Maintain Consistent Demeanor “Business-friendly” Personality Sales Training and Team Building Client Relationship Development Fluent in Spanish Well-Organized and Highly Efficient Problem Resolutions Customer-Focused PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Green Clothiers of Northern California, Two Ville, CA Customer Service Manager Present Charged with managing a range of key operational functions in support of eco-friendly clothing retailer with two locations and $55M in annual revenue. Recruited, trained and managed 15-member team, ensuring continuous delivery of outstanding customer service generating over $23 M in annual revenue. Selected Achievements: Awarded Employee of the Month for a total of 12 quarters for outstanding customer service, problem resolution and customer-focused orientation In 2005 and 2007, awarded Manager of the Year for exemplary staff management Redesigned, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues by 22% for the first year and 30% for each successive year Fine Sports Wear International, Two Ville, CA Customer Service Manager Charged with managing a range of key operational functions in support of sportswear retailer with 5 locations across the state and $120M in annual revenue. Recruited, trained and managed 35- member team, ensuring continuous delivery of outstanding customer service generating over $20 M in annual revenue. Selected Achievements: Awarded Manager of the Year for 3 consecutive years of exemplary staff management and team member motivation Designed, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues by 14% for the first year and 25% for the following two years Consistently exceeded annual goals by more than 10% in key metrics including profit, sales, employee retention and customer service Customer Service Representative Provided top-notch customer service in support of sportswear retailer with 5 locations across the state and $120M in annual revenue. Assisted customers with women’s and children’s sportswear consistently generating additional revenues with thorough product knowledge and friendly sales techniques. Selected Achievements: Awarded Salesperson of the Year in 1999 and 2002 for exceeding set sales productivity by 8% and 15% respectively Selected to train 14 new representatives functioning as lead trainer, providing ongoing guidance and constructive feedback which increased trainee retention by 12% Achieved lowest returns percentage for a total of three years EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Bachelor of Arts in Communications Minor in Spanish University of California–Two Ville, California (1999) PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS National Retail Foundation (2000 – Present) Big Brother Big Sister Foundation (1998 – Present)

During the summer, you can actually take a break from school (if you're not taking summer classes) and enjoy your free time. You don't have to worry about studying for tests, writing papers, or giving oral presentations. You don't have to get up early for class or spend your days in the library doing research. You don't have any college club meetings to attend or advising appointments to remember. You don't have to meet your psychology study group or tutor freshmen on math skills. But since you don't have to do any of these activities listed, what should you be doing during summer break?summer classes Although you should definitely spend your summer break enjoying the weather, hanging out with your friends, and taking a vacation, you may also want to squeeze in a little time for career preparation. Don't worry; we're not asking you to do anything too hard. After all, you do deserve a break. But if you take time to do some of the following activities for career preparation over your summer break, you will thank yourself once graduation time comes. 1. Update your resume. Did you join any new clubs this past year? Get a new job? Update your resume with these new activities while you have the extra time. When you graduate from college and start looking for a job, you'll be glad that your resume is current. 2. Decide on a career path. If you still haven't figured out in which area you want to earn a degree, now is the time to find out. Utilize the Kuder Career Planning System to find out which careers will align with your skills and interests.Kuder Career Planning System 3. Research job opportunities. Use your extra time in the summer to research job opportunities. If you find a company/job that interests you, call and let them know that you are still a student but would be interested in interning or even volunteering at the company. This will help get your foot in the door once you graduate.job opportunities 4. Practice answering interview questions. Check out these sample questions for a job interview and search the web for more questions that interviewers frequently ask. Then grab a friend or a family member and ask them to interview you. The more you practice interviewing for a job, the less nervous and more confident you will be when the time finally comes for the interview.sample questions for a job interviewpractice interviewing for a job 5. Volunteer. Find a volunteer activity that you would enjoy. Are you majoring in education? Volunteer at a day care center. Are you pre-med? Volunteer at your local hospital. Do you love science and biology? Volunteer at the zoo. There are a multitude of volunteer activities available to you. Not only will you be helping out your community, but you will also be doing something that can be added to your resume.volunteer activity 6. Read a variety of books. Interviewers love to ask questions about books that you have read recently. Don't be unprepared. Read a variety of books while you have the extra time. Not only will reading expand your mind and help you learn new vocabulary, but it can even help you land your dream job.variety of books 7. So you thought summer break was going to be filled with swimming pools, cookouts, and parties. Well, it still can be. You deserve to enjoy your summer break and have fun; just don't forget to take a little time to focus on your future with career preparation. You'll be happy that you did.