Often overlooked and underappreciated, students represent a tremendous opportunity for virtually every kind of organization. Summer jobs are more than a way to earn extra money or save for school; they are often a student’s first real introduction to responsibility, reputation, and workplace culture.
For students, these jobs offer valuable experience and a chance to begin establishing their professional identity. For organizations, hiring students can bring fresh energy, new ideas, and a meaningful way to invest in the community.
Make no mistake, there is a steep learning curve on all sides. Students are learning how to work; employers are learning how to lead new and inexperienced workers. But when both sides approach the experience intentionally, summer employment becomes something much bigger than a temporary arrangement; it becomes the beginning of someone’s future.
Taking a moment to review these eighteen considerations may help make that learning curve a little less precipitous for students, employers, and staff members.
Start Early and Be Intentional – Initiative and planning matter on both sides.
For students: Apply early for summer jobs and don’t wait for opportunities to be posted. I suggest starting in December; however, any time before when the bulk of students start looking is good.
Talk to teachers, professors, friends, and family members, and ask about available opportunities. Similarly, for university students, looking for a summer job before or after Christmas is not too early.
Consider asking the organization you worked with the previous summer if you could return before the start of the fall semester. High School students do the same thing.
For students who have completed a co-op work term, consider asking that employer if you could come back the next summer or as a part-time paid student.
What is important is to inquire and apply as soon as you can. Many students wait until they are finished with their semester to look for work, and then find the competition is much greater.
For employers: University students and high school students can be highly motivated and can make great contributions to your organization. Make sure you consider them for any positions you might have available.
Attitude, Reliability, and Professional Expectations – Work ethic builds reputation.
For students: Remember what is important for employers: reliability and attitude. Putting aside generational comment bias, your attitude towards the work an employer gives you is very important. You have to prove yourself, and even if you feel the work provided may be beneath your skill set, do it to the best of your ability. Everyone has to prove themselves before they receive more responsibility.
For employers: Try to give students full-time hours during the summer. If you have students employed during the school year, balance the needs of the organization with their need to do well at school; this awareness will pay dividends for both parties. Senior-level high school students and University students are usually working to save for school. They will give you better results if they do not have to juggle multiple part-time jobs.
For students: Be prepared for employers to have negative attitudes about personal cell phone use. Listen to them and follow their policies.
For employers: Be prepared to compromise on cell phones. Some employers are very draconian about allowing cell phones, and it is understandable if heavy equipment or safety is an issue; for other roles, appreciate just how linked students are to their phones and how potentially useful they might be.
For students: Come prepared to work, show up early (10-15 minutes), don’t watch the clock, and, although this might seem obvious, work when you are supposed to. Also, appreciate that employers may have previously encountered students who weren’t prepared or used to working for several hours at a time.
Employers can forget that students don’t have years of previous work experience or know work habits they believe everyone should know. As a result, some can be very impatient and generalize all students with the same brush. Understanding this experience can provide you with the understanding and ability to correct this misconception.
For students: While a summer job is not likely going to be your career, make sure you treat it as if it was it is for your co-workers and your employer. This appreciation can make your integration into the team much easier for you and them.
Fairness, Compensation, and Respect – Respect is demonstrated in action, especially financially.
For employers: Pay your students the same wage you would pay anyone else doing the same job. The student minimum wage in Ontario is less than the basic minimum wage; neither is enough in my opinion. Try to pay more, even 10-15% more, will result in more of a greater feeling of connection and loyalty to you and your organization.
For employers: The skill level of students can vary greatly, from those experiencing their first jobs to university students in their twenties with a much greater skill set. The appreciation of them as students is important, as is the avoidance of the possible stigma of them just being a “student” by your regular associates.
It is a subtle nuance to be conscious of for you and your associates. For example, some students I have spoken to say that they appreciate people realizing they are students but sometimes feel that they cannot do the job they were hired to do because many people treat them like they are everyone’s “go-fors”.
For employers: When you bring a student back each summer, make sure that you give them a salary increase. Many students will not feel comfortable asking for an increase because they may just be grateful for a job; however, they will work even harder for you if you recognize that they are not starting from zero, and that they have more experience and skills to offer than a brand-new person.
Mentorship, Onboarding, and Workplace Culture – Leadership is active, not passive.
For employers: Take the time to develop and teach your students good work habits, give them responsibility, and make them part of your organization’s culture.
For employers: Remember, students are kids. They might have some experience; however, usually they will not know the things that older associates know. Be prepared for them to ask many questions, or to be thinking about asking many questions. Be patient, and if they don’t ask questions, encourage them to do so. For students in their first job, they anticipate that they will potentially need some hand-holding.
For employers: Be very conscious of how students interact with your team, especially during the first few days. Watch for nervousness, and for anyone who seems quiet and withdrawn, they may be struggling to adjust.
How you “On board” students can have long-lasting effects on their short and long-term success or failure, regardless of age and ability. In the beginning, give students basic entry-level jobs to do and then introduce variety to challenge them and to keep them interested in their work. They are students, yes, but if they are engaged and feel involved with your team, everyone benefits.
For Students: Ask people to teach you the “hidden rules” of their organization. Hidden rules are things that most people have learned but seldom think about or mention to new associates. These “rules” can range from what is appropriate to wear to work, to when and how breaks are taken, and include things as simple as where to park their vehicles to more complex rules about how to interact with supervisors and customers.
Growth, Awareness, and Long-Term Reputation – Personal growth and long-term thinking.
For Students: Learn and watch how different elements of your new organization work and don’t work well together. Know that all organizations have strengths and weaknesses, learn from the good examples, and learn how to avoid copying the bad examples.
For students: Always do each job you are given to the very best of your ability, regardless of how basic the job you have been assigned. When you have finished with a job, ask for more. Building your reputation as someone “who gets things done” will count towards getting a great reference in the future.
For students: If you do not plan on returning to your employer, take the time to ask for a reference and/or a LinkedIn recommendation. Employers and coworkers can be instrumental in your future success, and if you have built a good reputation, they will want to help you.
For students: Eat breakfast and lunch. Many student workers skip breakfast and/or lunch, which can make it difficult to focus for the entire workday, and it can dramatically affect their performance.
For employers: Embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace. When searching for students, appreciate students who are black, indigenous, people of colour, or who live with a disability, have skills and abilities equal to/or sometimes greater than those of other students.
Building Futures Together – Mutual responsibility and community impact.
Hiring students is good for your business, good for your community, and invaluable for the young people trying to find their footing in the world of work.
A summer job may feel temporary, but the habits, attitudes, and lessons learned are not. Students who are treated with fairness, patience, and expectation often return stronger, more capable, and more loyal. Employers who take the time to teach, mentor, and pay fairly are not just filling seasonal roles; they are shaping future professionals and strengthening their own organizations in the process.
Building futures does not happen accidentally. It happens when students commit to doing their best work, and when employers commit to seeing them not just as “summer help,” but as emerging talent.
When both sides get it right, everyone’s future benefits.
Good luck,
Paul.