Your exams are over. You're free. Free to see your friends, binge Netflix and read a book without taking detailed notes on tiny flash cards. It's going to be an amazing three months, but once you're over the initial post exam stress you might want to start looking at summer jobs or internships. Don't know where to start? No problem. We've compiled a list of tips and helpful resources to help you keep busy over the summer.
There are plenty of different options when it comes to getting a job over the summer. After all, the warmer weather usually brings more events, busier times for restaurants and, of course, festivals! No matter what type of job you try to pursue, you'll probably need the following:
- An updated CV and basic cover letter structure (it's recommended that you edit your cover letter for each role)
- To start early! Summer roles are competitive so don't start looking halfway through your holidays
- To know where to look. Student Job, Just Student Jobs, E4S Student Jobs, GumTree, Big Choice, Indeed, Prospects or Fish4Jobs are all great for finding opportunities. You can also often filter the results to show just student opportunities.
Summer work experience
If you're looking to build up some experience in a specific field and want to get a head start before uni, short work experience placements are the best way to go. These placements can be unpaid but you'll often be reimbursed for any costs you might incur from the job like travel or sometimes even food.
Sites like The Student Ladder list work experience opportunities by subject area so it's really easy to find something that suits your needs. The duration of the jobs listed can last from anything between a couple of days and four weeks, meaning there's a lot of flexibility to fit your work experience around your summer plans.
Festivals
Free ticket to a festival and some invaluable work experience? Don't mind if I do. Unlike internships, festivals may not give you experience for your future career, but you will gain the soft skills you'll need for all jobs in the future. Working at a festival before you start uni can be an amazing summer memory and also give you enough work experience to be a contender for work in hospitality while at uni.
Effie explains what it's like to work in a festival and how the recruitment process works. If you want to see festival vacancies, you'll want to check out these links: Wikifestivals, Oxfam Festivals, Eventstaffing, Festaff .
Think about the festivals and events that happen in your area. Everything from food festivals to sporting events often need extra help in the summer. Happy hunting.
Volunteering
Volunteering is the best way to get some work experience on your CV if you haven't already and you may even be able to find something to do with your course. The best places to look for volunteering roles are do.it.org and Charity Jobs .
Keep in mind there's more out there than the traditional volunteering roles. National Trust and other tourist locations offer paid and volunteering roles over the busier summer period, and you might be surprised by the range of roles on offer. Volunteering at dogs homes or shelters are usually the first roles to be snapped up.
Summer reading
If you're still haunted by all the exams and revision in the past few months and need a good long break then you can at least get some reading done. Take a look at the required texts for your course (which are normally available early) and do a little background reading before September. See if there any events, seminars or festivals going on across the summer that has something to do with your course so you can walk into uni on your first day feeling prepared.
