10 February 2009

The Hot Topic of Summer term: How to Get a Part-time Job

"Finding a Part-time job" session at IPC

By Shirley Ghozalli. Edited by Moira Blake.

IPC Careers Advisor Leroy Greenaway explaining the important points about finding a part-time job

The students attending the session

Summer term is rolling along at IPC and the part-time job season is about to start in Palmerston North. How to find and get a part-time job? It's not as simple as it may seem and IPC students are competing for these jobs with UCOL and Massey students. For this reason, IPC Careers Advisor, Leroy Greenaway, held a 'Finding a Part-time job' session on Wednesday, 4th February.

To open the session, Leroy asked the students in the room about the points that they need to pay attention to when they are looking for a job. By knowing these points, a student can be confident that they will have a good chance of being hired when they apply for a job. They include:

1. Do you have the proper work permit in your student visa?
2. What sort of a job do you want to do?
3. Do you have a CV written?
4. Do you have at least 3 referees?
5. Do you have a reliable means of transportation?
6. Are you reliable, honest, committed and on time?

Always ask questions if you don't understand something.

To work, a student's visa must carry a work permit that allows the student to work up to 20 hours a week. You can also apply for a visa which allows fulltime work during vacations.

All the students are required to make several copies of their CV, make a list of all the places they want to apply to, and learn about these businesses.

The list is important so that after a student has submitted the application, she or he can return and ask the employer about the status of the application. By proactively asking, the student will show the employer that he or she is keen about finding work.

Learning about the business is important as the employer will see that the student is interested in the business and will be more likely to give the student a chance.

Door knocking, contacting a recruitment agency and looking in the newspapers are some of the ways to find a part-time job. Registering with a recruitment agency is free and they can offer part-time or temporary jobs. A temporary job can also be a good way of finding a part-time job.

There will be a further session next Wednesday. This will be a "Door Knocking" session, in other words, going to town, where students will visit businesses to look for part-time jobs.

For further information, please contact Leroy Greenaway at ext 725.

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