Impossible to find part-time summer work

LegacyUser

Not a major thing, but it is something I struggle with and makes me also worried when I have to go out in the world to find a proper job.

See I am 21 going on 22, 2nd year of college but could never find a part-time job on the side due to lack of experience. Ever since the recession the experience needed for even easy jobs is ridiculously high. I was able to snag a few volunteering jobs in retail and festivals here and there, but even then that was hard to come by, so my CV is still thin.

But tbh I could survive without a job during the college year if i could. It's the summer months I worry about, because I have to move back home which is a rural area completely in the wilderness and the isolation drives you absolutely mad sometimes.

It's also more about gaining work and life experience, and getting out and meeting new people than the money for me (although it is a bonus), without pressures of college work. I only have a few mates i see now and again, and never had a boyfriend. It depresses me knowing how much I miss out on being stuck in a rural place during
the summer months.

I really think at this stage the CV might not help at all, so i was just thinking about looking at unconventional places for work for the summer, and to try and be more persistent.

But this is what I want to ask, how do I try and constantly look for work for the summer soon without coming across as annoying, or off-putting, especially when I don't have a great CV to back it up with? Also would the fact that I would be 22 with barely any experience be off-putting?

I mean i hear of people constantly calling places, turning up to the place to see if they have the job or not, sending CV after CV again and again. It obviously shows determination, but I just want to make sure that if I do that, it won't cross that line into just being a nuisance.


Any advice would be great. The reason why i ask about this so early is so that i can prepare early.

Dutchess

I think a lot of people get jobs (especially their first jobs) based on who they know. Can your parents/aunts/uncles/parents of mates help there? They or their friends might work in places that take on summer staff..

Good luck out there! I know it's tough.

baby and crumble

OP, you have a few options.

Have you tried looking in your college for summer work? If you're going on 22 I'd assume you're near enough to your final year- you'd be surprised how many colleges take on students across the campus for work during the summer. It ranges from research assistants (depending on your course though) to stuff like grounds staff or household staff (if campus accommodation is rented out to tourists, you'd be surprised how many are). Some, like TCD even take on students as tour guides.

If money isn't too much of a problem you could look at getting a j1 visa and trying your luck in the US for the summer. Or maybe doing a volunteer abroad programme. Lots of US summer camps take on counsellors from oversees, you get your room & board paid for.

ted1

Can you swim? I worked as a lifeguard In pools and beaches from 4th year school to 5th year in college ( engineering is a long degree) money is good and its a handy number. Pools are handy as you can get work throughout the year. Beaches only operate during the Summer do its ideally suited to students

Slang_Tang

help890, I was exactly in your position during college.

Apply for the Temporary Clerical Officer positions. These reopened last year after a long hiatus, and I imagine they'll be available this year.

Money is decent for a summer position (420-450 a week, if I remember correctly), you can choose your location (obviously there will be much more positions in larger cities), you get good office experience, and it looks good on your C.V.

You can be placed in any department. The first time I applied I was in a social welfare office in one of the roughest part of Dublin, which was an eye-opening experience. The second time I was in Diplomatic Relations in Foreign Affairs, so I spent most of the time wearing a suit and organising events for presidents and diplomats. What a contrast! But I really enjoyed both experiences because I was working with a nice team of people.

Last year's positions were announced on at the beginning of March and closed on March 12th, so keep a close eye on the Work and Jobs forum and Public Jobs.

In terms of skills, if you have basic computing and people skills then you can do the work. Just spin your work experience and skills in a positive way (in other words, don't be modest) for the first round and you have a very good chance of being called to interview.

Good luck with it!

LegacyUser

Slang_Tang wrote: »

<SNIP> - DO NOT QUOTE ENTIRE POST

Wow, 420-450 sounds good to me for the summer!
But (excuse my ignorance and stupidity for asking this) what exactly is a clerical officer and what they do, because I never heard of that job position before.
I assume from when you said you were placed in a social welfare office that it is a public type career, like street cleaning and being a librarian? Not that I'd turn my nose up at those jobs for the summer, it's just that I'd like to fully understand what is involved.

Meathlass

Op here again wrote: »

But (excuse my ignorance and stupidity for asking this) what exactly is a clerical officer and what they do, because I never heard of that job position before.

Clerical officer is basically what people used to call a receptionist (there's more to it than that though). It's more typically called an administration officer now. Basically any office related duties, emailing, answering phones, filing, serving customers etc.

If you go on to the www.publicjobs.ie website you'll see descriptions of all the job types.

strobe

What kind of jobs are you looking for? Unless they are high skilled, which seems unlikely if they're just summer jobs, then lie on your CV. Fabricate experience. The whole bollox of looking for 2 years experience for unskilled workers is just that, bollox. Lie. Get the job. And pick it up in the day or two it takes to pick it up.

LegacyUser

strobe wrote: »

What kind of jobs are you looking for? Unless they are high skilled, which seems unlikely if they're just summer jobs, then lie on your CV. Fabricate experience. The whole bollox of looking for 2 years experience for unskilled workers is just that, bollox. Lie. Get the job. And pick it up in the day or two it takes to pick it up.

Just anything really at this stage, but more towards a summer job where you are dealing with people all the time, good or bad, gaining experience that can expand my CV, and that the wage is enough so that I could rent a tiny place near work (since like in my original post I live rurally and I also don't drive and have to rely on others)

I know its sounds a lot to ask for some summer work, but it just important for me in terms of developing skills with the workplace, people, confidence, just life experience in general.

shakencat

lounge girl/boy?

edelg

I'm in the very same position as you! I'm 20 and have never had any sort of a job! Went in to one restaurant in particular this summer to hand in a CV and the manager said 'we're actually doing trials for waitresses at the moment, have you any experience?' I said no,gave him my phone number and funny enough I never heard back from them! I totally get what you mean about needing that life experience. All my friends have jobs and I feel there are much more mature and responsible because of it! It can be very deflating for a person to spend everyday confined to your house with no purpose or motivation! 😕

Lia_lia

Op where are you willing to move? I'm from Killarney and never had trouble finding part time work in the summers. And this was when the recession was in full swing! It's the perfect place for summer jobs due to it being a seasonal tourist town. Plenty of hotel jobs. If not Killarney, try other tourist towns. A friend of mine went to some rural town in Clare for a summer to work for example..

LegacyUser

Lia_lia wrote: »

Op where are you willing to move? I'm from Killarney and never had trouble finding part time work in the summers. And this was when the recession was in full swing! It's the perfect place for summer jobs due to it being a seasonal tourist town. Plenty of hotel jobs. If not Killarney, try other tourist towns. A friend of mine went to some rural town in Clare for a summer to work for example..

I would be willing to move to Dublin (since that it where a lot of jobs are) but problem is rent is so high, depending on where I go.
So Kilkenny city or Carlow town would be grand enough either, only problem is people seem to think i will never have money by the end of the week, if I did get a summer job and moved out. I mean is it possible to rent on a summer job wage, depending on the job you get?

Lia_lia

It really depends where you go and what the cost of rent is. Dublin would be out of the question! Luckily for me I was living at home. But yes, I do know some people that would have worked summers during college and lived away from home. I was making about €380 plus around €150 in tips a week. More in busy periods! Less when it was quiet. I was lucky to be working in a busy hotel with loads of hours available to work. Very easy to live in a houseshare and save some money on that. That's actually almost as much I make now in a proper job...feck sakes. Tips are great if you can get them!

diograis

I lied on my CV for dunnes and it got me the job basically. They trained me in completely too so any experience would have been pointless, my Dad was my reference haha.

I say go for it !

thegreatgonzo

Are any of your friends in a similar situation OP that you might head off together? When I was your age and in college I remember myself and my friend applying for hotel jobs in Isle of Man and Jersey, accommodation included. (We actually ended up in Hull, the smelliest and most depressing city in England but got jobs and had a great time regardless.)
Having been in exactly the same situation as yourself, spending the summer in the back arse of nowhere, if you do find yourself stuck there again make sure you get some driving lessons. Being able to drive is the single most important survival skill for not going beserk with boredom or at least in my experience:-)

LegacyUser

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Are any of your friends in a similar situation OP that you might head off together? When I was your age and in college I remember myself and my friend applying for hotel jobs in Isle of Man and Jersey, accommodation included. (We actually ended up in Hull, the smelliest and most depressing city in England but got jobs and had a great time regardless.)
Having been in exactly the same situation as yourself, spending the summer in the back arse of nowhere, if you do find yourself stuck there again make sure you get some driving lessons. Being able to drive is the single most important survival skill for not going beserk with boredom or at least in my experience:-)

How do you go about applying for jobs like that abroad?

I tried looking at sites but I never know which is legit and which could be a scam.

thegreatgonzo

You could try contacting these places directly to see if they take on summer staff.

LoonyLovegood

Could you try au pairing in Europe for a summer? A couple of friends of mine have done it and loved it. It looks fantastic on your CV, and means you can build your language skills up a bit.