Eek. Is anyone else shocked to see that Labor Day is approaching?
If you’ve been involved in a summer job or business, the months may have flown for you, too, or crawled, depending on the tasks you've been involved with. In either case, the calendar doesn’t lie: It’s time to wrap up your summer work and prepare for the next chapter.
Traditionally, summer employment has been the purview of teenagers and college students, as well as a few hardworking school teachers. In recent years, however, unemployed and underemployed adults have joined the ranks of summer workers, even while young adults and teens have struggled to break in.
Simultaneously, technology has made it easier for all groups to start simple businesses in lieu of flipping burgers.
With these changes in the summer employment landscape comes a need to be more strategic about shutting down the operation. A teen used to simply finish the job and whistle off into the school year with a pocketful of cash. Re-employment the next summer consisted of reviewing options in May, applying with the same place or new places and jumping into a new season.
Now things are a bit more complicated, for both teens and adults. In addition to stiffer competition for the positions, there’s less certainty that a summer job is a time-limited event. Workers who might have “graduated” from these positions in earlier times are finding it necessary to return to them repeatedly while waiting for better opportunities. The same can be said of summer businesses.
Since making such a return can’t be left to chance (what if someone else takes your place?), you’ll want to lay groundwork now to ensure your options are there when you most need them. Here are a few steps to incorporate into your last few weeks on the job.
Steps for summer employees
1. Review your job duties and accomplishments. What have you been doing? Which processes have you mastered, and what equipment can you operate? Have you been interacting with people from other cultures? Supervising teams? Write everything down, even if it seems simplistic. Some of this will go into your resume, and some will become “interview fodder.” But some of these details will provide the foundation for future work choices, based on experiences you have enjoyed this summer.
2. Build a list of contacts you have made, including co-workers, bosses and customers (if appropriate). Before leaving your position, ask for permission to stay in touch with as many as possible, and gather the information to make that possible.
3. Ask your boss for a written recommendation to use for future employment. This doesn’t have to be lengthy, but it would be nice if he or she could highlight a few of your skills or attributes that were appreciated on the job, or a key project that you contributed to.
4. Ask your boss for advice: What does he or she see in you that needs improving? What have you contributed to the workplace? What would your boss recommend you do next in your career? Since performance reviews are not common in a summer job, this conversation can provide valuable feedback for both young workers and those who have been in the workforce longer.
5. Hedge your bets by asking if you would be welcome to come back next summer or other times during the year. Assuming the answer is yes, expand the conversation by asking which additional roles you might be suited for, and what preparation on your part would make that possible.
6. Within a week of leaving, send a handwritten thank-you card to your boss expressing appreciation for the opportunity and the hope that your paths will cross again. Stay in touch with holiday cards or brief email updates through the year.
For summer business operators
1. Modify the above steps to suit your situation: Ask key customers for letters of recommendation, for example, and for suggestions about ways to improve your service to them.
2. Complete your records on each client so you can more easily work for them again next year.
3. Write yourself a report: What went well this summer, which problems could have been avoided and, most importantly, which steps should you take to reopen your business next year? Put those steps on a calendar or electronic schedule to ensure they don’t get dropped.
If these steps seem like overkill, remember: Whether you’re a summer employee or a business operator, your hard work this summer is an investment in your future. In order to capitalize later, you need to close the project with the same focus and positive attitude that you’ve demonstrated for the work itself.
Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 626 Armstrong Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
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