High school and college students: getting ready to seek summer work? If so, then it is important that you understand what employers want and expect. Knowing this will make you a more attractive candidate and will enhance the chances that you will get and keep the job you want.
You may not have much experience as of yet, so the employer will have to make a decision based on evaluating your presentation and potential. Knowing what is important to the employer will help you to interview more effectively, and to keep that job once you have it. Here is what all employers look for:
- Someone who is neatly dressed and well-groomed. First impressions count! No tee shirts, jeans, revealing tops, shorts or flip-flops when applying for a job. Minimize displays of body piercings or tattoos.
- Someone who will be reliable, arrive on time, and show up to work each day. Employers must be able to count on you in order to keep customers attended to and to stay in business. This is a very basic tenant of staying employed.
- Someone who is honest and trustworthy. An employer needs to feel confident that since he or she cannot supervise everyone all the time, you will be responsible to do what is expected of you, and do your job with integrity.
- Someone who will be accurate in their work, and who will ask for help if they do not understand an aspect of the job. Asking for assistance or clarification is a sign of maturity, not stupidity.
- Someone who will keep him or herself busy and who will not have to be constantly told what to do. No standing around, being bored, texting or talking on the cell phone. You will be paid to do a job, so that needs to be the only focus while you are on duty.
- Someone who is polite and helpful to customers. Customers need to be attended to – they are the very reason the business exists and that you have a job. Even if they might be difficult, you need to make every effort to take care of their needs.
- Someone who gets along well with co-workers. Teamwork and positive working relationships are the cornerstone of business success. Pitch in, do more than your share, and don’t get caught up in petty discussions, arguments or gossip.
- Someone who is willing to learn new things and who listens to instructions and directions. A willingness to learn is an asset that will serve you for your entire career.
- Someone who will take pride in their work and in their surroundings. A job well done is a personal reflection of you, and the basis of your work reputation.
Remember that even though the job you will do this summer probably won’t be the one where you will spend the rest of your career, these early experiences can result in gaining new skills, and having positive work references when you need them later.
