THE long summer holidays are in sight, filling students with glee but parents with trepidation. How can the break be put to best use?
Students who have worked hard preparing for GCSE, BTEC, AS or A-level deserve a break. They may not have planned exactly how to make the most of the holiday so help them organise some treats but don’t micro-manage. They really don’t want parental guidance on how to spend their down-time so there’s little point coming up with detailed schemes but you could at least provide a budget. That’s what parents are there for, right? If your budget is deemed inadequate, then the only response has to be ‘If you want more, you’ll have to earn it!’
Finding a summer job is easier said than done but those who persevere do find gainful employment. This is a major advantage when it comes to a university application and future job hunts so encourage and support the search for a summer job but try not to nag. Again, young people often fail to comprehend fully the meaning of perseverance. It’s not enough to have a quick search on a job site and draw a blank.
A one-page CV that stands out a little from the average but isn’t too outlandish is a good start. Most students don’t really have a lot to put on a CV so help your child to think about their qualities that are likely to be appreciated by a prospective employer that they can evidence on their CV: reliability, punctuality, courtesy, sense of humour.
Students can map out an efficient route to hand-deliver their CV, smartly-dressed and smiling, to their targeted employers. They almost certainly will not get to see the decision maker but can at least leave the CV, a good impression and a request that it be passed on to the manager.
This then needs to be followed up with a phone call, email and maybe several more visits. This is the pester-point that will lead either to the manager losing patience and rejecting the application or, with luck, recognising the determination and offering an interview. I, for one, am more likely to look favourably on an applicant who has made the effort to follow up a speculative CV submission rather than the one who has taken the scatter-gun approach.
And if the job hunt leads to nothing (but do keep trying) then summer always provides the opportunity to research universities and get on with the UCAS personal statement. If you’d like advice on this, come and talk to us at Bosworth. We’re modestly expert at university applications.
Find out more about Bosworth College on 01604 235090 or visit www.bosworthcollege.com