4 Things You Can Do This Summer to Get Job Application Ready
The holiday season is sneaking up fast and while it is typically a busy time of year spent catching up with family and friends, it can also be a time when young people experience a spike in those well-meaning questions about their future plans. *sigh*
MIGAS totally has your back. We’ve got four things you can do now to get job application ready and avoid awkward silences and eye-rolling conversations this season.
ONE
Find your future trade. It’s a busy time of year for many businesses and an extra set of hands can go a long way. Open up Google and get ready to make some calls to local businesses and find out if they are willing to take you on for some work experience.
Here’s what you need to say:
“Hello my name is ---- and I am a student from ----- local High School.
I’m on holidays and I’m wondering if you are looking for some extra help?
I’d really like to gain some work experience to learn more about ---- and your business.
I’m happy to clean, tidy and help out where ever I’m needed.
I am available on ---- days.”
We recommend trying a few different businesses to gain maximum exposure to what’s on offer out there. The local mechanic and even the footy club are a good place to start. Yes, you’ll need to be prepared to work hard and and get your hands dirty, but imagine the look on Aunty Jill’s face when you tell her about the three work experience jobs you’re currently juggling to fatten up that resume.
TWO
Get that resume sorted! We know – mum has been harassing you about this since Year 9, but she has a point. You might find a couple of the places you call for work experience want a resume before they’ll meet you. So get started!
THREE
Write three cover letters.
We can hear your eyes rolling and we know what you’re thinking. They are rough to write and what do you even put in one that isn’t already on your resume?
Remember earlier when we said we totally have you back? We meant it. The big difference between a cover letter and a resume is that a cover letter is where you can let your personality shine. The best cover letters answer these two questions:
- What’s great about you
- Why you want this particular job/career pathway
Why three cover letters? We get that you haven’t settled on just one pathway yet. So write one for the part-time retail or hospitality job you want in order to earn some extra cash this summer, one to express why you are MADE for the carpentry trade and love building things, and one about how you’ve always wanted to learn more about Heavy Diesel Mechanics and think you’ve got what it takes.
Now when Uncle Pete asks you about your “plans” you can discuss the pros and cons of using double line spacing when formatting a cover letter and ask if he can help you out by giving your drafts a read.
Find some more helpful tips on cover letter writing here.
FOUR
Activate a MIGAS account and complete your profile.
Why? Because a MIGAS account subscribes you to weekly apprenticeship job alerts on your future trade, allows you to manage your job seeker profile and upload your resume and cover letter, and is the last step to being job application ready to start applying for apprenticeships with MIGAS.
We are the experts in helping young Australians find amazing trade careers. We are not just there once a year to pinch your cheek and offer unwarranted advice. We are with you every shift, every assignment, and every job interview until you complete your certificate as a qualified tradesperson.