Young woman using computer on green glasses in the park. Education learning or freelance working outdoor or relaxation concept idea background.

At this time of year, when the sidewalks are covered in ice and snow, it’s hard now that summer is just around the corner and will arrive sooner than you think! Recruitment job postings has begun.

Summer are offered across various sectors, including seasonal positions for amusement parks, summer camps, resorts, campgrounds, as well as landscaping, tourism, and agriculture. Municipal, provincial and federal governments also post jobs summer jobs in a range of departments. Retailers also offer summer hiring programs.

Where to find summer jobs

Start with the obvious
Search engines like Google are the best places to start any kind of job search. Start with keywords like summer, jobs, a job title (e.g. landscaping) and location (e.g. Toronto). Set up to receive email alerts based on your searches that produce the best results. You’ll receive a notification every time a positions matches your search criteria.

Connect with companies on social media
Many companies and organizations post job opportunities on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can follow companies offering summer employment to get posts about vacancies. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date so employers can also search for candidates like you. You can conduct searches on each platform using hashtags like #summerjobs. This article talks about what employers look for in candidates on social media.

Job Boards
Look through specialized job boards, particularly if you’re a student, such as JobPostings.ca, Student Times and Talent Egg, which focus on summer jobs.

The government is hiring
Summer job postings for all three levels of government can start as early as January and promote vacancies on their website. Here’s a few to check out.

Government of Canada
Ontario Government and Ontario Public Service Careers
City of Toronto
The Municipality of York Region
Peel Region
Durham Region

Also visit the websites for each city within a region for their summer jobs. Through the Government of Canada Summer Jobs program, a range of employers, including small businesses, not-for-profit employers, and faith-based organizations, can apply for funding for summer positions. Funding priorities are listed here and will give you an idea of organizations to research.

There are also specialized government-funded programs that support youth such as:

Youth Job Connection Summer for high school students who are dealing with challenges such as poverty, homelessness, a disability or mental health issue, as well as part-time after school job opportunities
Youth Job Link for those between 15 and 29 years old, including a range of other job search supports
Self-employment/entrepreneurial opportunities through the Summer Company Program, which provides students with hands on business training, mentoring and financial awards to start and run their own summer businesses
Stewardship Youth Ranger Program, for students age 16 or 17, to work on local natural resource management projects for 8 weeks
Summer Employment Opportunities program for students over 15
Indigenous youth (15-24, or up to 29 for those with disabilities) can participate in the Indigenous Youth Work Exchange Program, an 8-week summer job for up to 3 consecutive summers, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
The First Nations Natural Resources Youth Em p loyment Program offers Indigenous youth (16-18 years old) placement opportunities for up to two summers in Northern Ontario to work on forestry and mining projects, receive workplace training and take personal development workshops
The Articling and Summer Law Student Programs offer first and second year law students opportunities with the Ontario government.

Check out classifieds listings such as Kijiji, who offer a Summer Job search. Traditional job boards such as Workopolis have summer student searches. Similarly, the vertical job boards such as Indeed.ca have specific summer searches.

Think of which employers are busiest in summer. For jobs in camps, check out Ontario Camps. local camps.

Remember that you can also create your own business and offer pet sitting, gardening, babysitting, elder care, housesitting services, for a fee, to friends and family. The provincial government offers support for summer companies, offered through JVS Toronto, through our Youth Services.

Keep in mind that temporary agencies might be ramping up their hiring to fill positions of employees away for summer. You will find a list of job boards compiled by our employment experts.

Besides an opportunity to build your resume and earn an income, summer work can have a lasting effect. Hard work and a good attitude can get you invited back for multiple summers, or turn into on-going part-time work.

Summer is here. The days are long, the city is buzzing with events, and laid back chatter flows from outdoor patios. It’s getting harder to focus on the job search, even more so when employers seem to be posting less jobs and taking longer to reply to applications. It’s tempting to take a break and restart your job search in September. But is that a good idea?

Not necessarily.

One reason to continue job seeking is precisely because job seekers often opt out of the job search in summer: competition for jobs is reduced and you might be able to snag a good opportunities.

Another reason is that jobs do continue to be posted. Some employers simply need to hire regardless of the season. Often hiring is urgent and employers are quick to grab the next available candidate.

Sometimes, employers are even beginning to line up opportunities for the December holidays.

Another advantage of job searching in summer is that employers are often more relaxed and receptive to chatting about what the next year may bring. Use this opportunity to connect with your targeted employers to gather information about the company, upcoming job requirements. and their hiring process. Having this information before jobs are posted gives you an edge over other job seekers. You will know what jobs are coming up, when they are accepting applications, the hiring process, and who is doing the hiring. If you are lucky and resourceful, you may even secure someone on the inside who can pass your resume on for you. People have a little more time to chat and may be open to longer discussions on potential opportunities.

However, you don’t necessarily have to continue job search at the same pace. Everyone needs some time off to relax, regroup, and recharge. Just don’t stop. You may miss out on some great opportunities. So, use this time of year to your advantage. After all, this is your job search and you will get out of it what you put in.

It’s Time to Start Looking for Summer Work

Is it Worthwhile to Job Search During the Summer?