Summer jobs already open for applications – tips for jobseeking
Make use of social media in jobseeking. Don’t rely only on traditional channels. Photo: GettyImages.
Many summer jobs become open already in the beginning of the year. The quickest of us secure their summer jobs now but a determined applicant can find a job even in summer as well. There are many summer job vacancies in the service sectors – check our best advice for jobseeking below.
A summer job offers valuable experience on working life and may later even lead to full-time employment, or a part-time one during studies, for example. By working in summer, you’ll get more understanding of your preferred sector in the future. At the same time when you learn something new, you can build important networks for your future. All work experience is useful!
Service sectors offer a lot of summer jobs: especially trade sector, facilities services and restaurant businesses employ many young people in fixed-term summer jobs. Trade sector is the biggest private sector employer and consequently also the biggest summer job provider for young people. The Finnish Commerce Federation estimates that approximately 25,000 young people work every summer in the trade sector.
“According to our estimates, the entire facilities services sector provides as many as 10,000 summer jobs in the coming summer”, Tiia Brax, Adviser in Industrial Politics of the Real Estate Employers says.
Also MaRa, the Finnish Hospitality Association, estimates that tourism and restaurant sectors provide approximately 10,000 summer jobs.
Tips for jobseeking:
- Make use of social media in jobseeking. Don’t rely only on traditional channels, such as newspapers, TE offices or Oikotie website, but remember to check online channels as well, using hashtags #rekry #kesäduuni #kesätyö, for example.
- At PAM Duunitori (”job market”) you can browse through service sector job openings by using different search criteria.
- Ask your friends where they have found their summer jobs.
- Follow the communication channels, for example websites and social media accounts, of employers of your interest. Lidl Finland is looking for summer job candidates even in Tinder.
- This year, 497 employers participate in the Responsible Summer Job campaign, committing to the principles of responsible summer job. This guarantees a positive summer job experience to both the employer and the employee. Responsible employers include S Group, Lassila & Tikanoja, ISS Services, Lidl Suomi, Scandic Hotels, Sol Services and Securitas, among others. Check the employers and their job opportunities in Finnish here.
- Another summer internship programme Tutustu ja tienaa (“Get to know and earn”) for school-aged job applicants has been agreed on for several service sectors. The aim of the summer internship programme is to facilitate school kids’ chances to get to know employers, working life and its rules and different tasks. PAM has concluded summer internship agreements with the employer organisations of trade, pharmacies and tourism sectors, restaurants and hospitality services and facilities services. If you are still at school, check the summer internship programmes here.
- Read the job announcement carefully and emphasize the relevant skills you have for that particular task. The aim of your job application is to be invited to an interview. Remember to attach your CV/resume to the application. If you get an invitation to a job interview, prepare carefully for it and find out beforehand about the job in question and the employer by using the employer’s website, for example.
- When you have secured your job, remember to ask for a written contract of employment. A written contract is always better than an oral one. An employment contract may not be agreed on less favourable conditions (e.g. salary, working hours) than what has been agreed upon in the collective agreement. Check with your employer what is the valid collective agreement in that workplace. Read more on the importance of the employment contract here. Please note that the working conditions of young employees (younger than 18) working in summer jobs differ from others. Check the special regulations for young workers here.
- Remember that you can also join PAM if you work alongside your studies or if you’re working in summer! By joining PAM you’ll get free advice on questions related to your employment relationship, and you can enjoy other union services and benefits as well. You can also accumulate your work requirement needed for earnings-based unemployment benefit, in case of possible unemployment. Every working week during which you work a minimum of 18 hours accumulates your work requirement.
- Any questions? For those, who are working in the service sector for the first time, we have gathered an information package in Finnish. In PAM's Wiki-cards, you can also find information on service sector work conditions. Kesäduunari, which is a free of charge information service for those working in summer jobs, opens in May 2019. Check the site for any advice and instructions, including FAQ with answers.
Sources: PAM’s wiki sites, Kesäduunari, The Real Estate Employers and The Finnish Hospitality Association MaRa.