Congrats McMaster12 on the job success!

If you get a free seasons pass for working there that's not a bad perk at all... could go anytime after work I guess and enjoy yourself. Rollercoasters are so much fun!

wonderland actually gives you 4 free tickets =D so you can treat the family! =D

Thanks Chad!

Sweet! I wish I could just go to Wonderland anytime and have a fun weekend.. every weekend. haha I wonder if it's possible to get bored of Wonderland?

Also check out http://www.employmenthamilto n.com/ Looks like their job board isn't up right now, but they say they place over 1000 students... give them a call and see what's available?

The fact of the matter is that any job that's posted ANYWHERE online is going to be a tough one to get. There are people out there in their 30s - 60s who have been downsized and are looking for jobs, and even they are applying to some of the jobs that they may previously have considered "below them" prior to the shift in the economy.

If you want to have success, you need to do 2 things:

1. Continue your online search, but ensure that your resume and cover letter really stand out. If 200 people apply to a job, your cover letter will get a 10 second scan, and if it's not up to snuff, no one will even look at your resume. Check TalentEgg for articles on how to make your cover letter/resume unique, eye-catching, and memorable.

2. Take advantage of your network. Think about who you know who may have some work for you, or who may know other people in a position to give you work. Don't just write this off either. Think hard. Everyone likely knows SOMEONE who can at least give a referral at a decent company, which could be exactly what you need. An independent job search offline can yield way better results than one online, as long as you're willing to put in the effort.

Also, good luck to everyone, and keep trying!

Originally Posted by Chad

Sweet! I wish I could just go to Wonderland anytime and have a fun weekend.. every weekend. haha I wonder if it's possible to get bored of Wonderland?

If you work there, I would say it's easy to get bored.
I used to work at a waterpark and I hated it. It's painful to watch hundreds of people having fun and laughing while you're stuck sitting in like 30 degree heat.

You wouldn't think so, but for some reason, a lot of customers at amusement parks are downright miserable. You'd think they'd be happy but from what I've seen, they really aren't.

Originally Posted by Chad

Also check out http://www.employmenthamilto n.com/ Looks like their job board isn't up right now, but they say they place over 1000 students... give them a call and see what's available?

For the summer job service with EH you have to go to their office at 67 Victoria St to look at positions. They won't post online at all. I had a job last summer that used the summer job service as a wage incentive. Most jobs are general labour or office work.

Before I got my job, I saw a lot of postings on the government job bank for YMCA Youth Internship positions. They're only available to people 15-30, which eliminates over half the competition for jobs, and considering most kids 15-18 are high schoolers and still in school, makes it even less competitive. Pay looks like minimum wage, but even that's $400+ a week for full time hours.

I know I work at Career Services but honestly when I apply to jobs I actually get them. Yeah I have experience and all. However, what makes me stand out is how solid my resume and cover letters are. They honestly wouldn't be that good if I didn't have my resume critiqued by the people in my office. I work at Career Services and even I have my resume double checked before I apply to a job. I also did hiring for the IRC for two years in a row and honestly we didn't give so many people an interview because their resumes/cover letters were absolutely brutal. Trust me, the drop in services at Career Services are really good. You'll have a way better chance of landing that summer position that is really competitive if you have a strong resume.

Also, there still are a ton of employers hiring now who are desperate for students.

Just to echo what Nicole has said, there are tons of jobs out there. You just have to put in the effort to apply to them properly.

That means:

• No spelling and grammatical errors on your resume
• Including a cover letter
• Making sure you know what company you're applying to (it happens all the time...)
• Catering your application to each company
• Knowing what your online footprint is like

Remember to network. Many jobs don't get posted because someone knows of the position beforehand. Although I applied to my internship, I got it because I already was involved with the company.

Also, you need to do something worthwhile with your free time. That means either part-time work, volunteering or some kind of student group involvement. They teach you LOTS of skills and you can mention them in your resumes and applications.

Originally Posted by reeves

Before I got my job, I saw a lot of postings on the government job bank for YMCA Youth Internship positions. They're only available to people 15-30, which eliminates over half the competition for jobs, and considering most kids 15-18 are high schoolers and still in school, makes it even less competitive. Pay looks like minimum wage, but even that's $400+ a week for full time hours.

I was looking at some of those, and some of them require that you DON'T have a diploma. And I was like, are you kidding me?

Originally Posted by feonateresa

I was looking at some of those, and some of them require that you DON'T have a diploma. And I was like, are you kidding me?

Yeah, there's a lot of those posted on online job sites. It's to help people who don't have high school diplomas get experience they wouldn't otherwise be able to get.

Originally Posted by feonateresa

I was looking at some of those, and some of them require that you DON'T have a diploma. And I was like, are you kidding me?

Are you serious? I didnt inquire about any, for obvious reasons (:p), but that seems kind of counterproductive. I understand the reasoning for it, but, at the same time, a qualified person should be getting the job.

I agree with a lot of what's been said on here. It's been extremely difficult to find a job- even through the year. However, I took SOC SCI 2EL0, and even though it was a lot of common sensical stuff that I had already done to my resumes and cover letters, it's good for people who aren't sure if their resume or cover letters are any good or anything.

Career services is pretty good at helping you make your resume and cover letters better, and I recommend checking them out if you're unsure about your resume and have other questions!

http://careers.mcmaster.ca/

cheers!