Looking for a summer job with purpose? Try pitching your own under Canada’s summer jobs program

This week most university and college classrooms go quiet as students take time off for reading week. It’s also the time when students start dusting off their resumes and gearing up for their summer job search. Balancing school with a job search can feel like a daunting task, especially when today’s young professionals are bombarded by the challenges of finding work. There is, however, another way to approach a job search. Rather than looking for a job, try pitching your own. Here’s what you need to know to do just that.

Canada’s Summer Jobs Program

On his 100^th day in office, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a doubling of Canada’s Summer Jobs Program, injecting $113 million each year for the next three years that will create 70,000 summer jobs this year and every year until 2018.

Under the program, the government subsidizes summer wages paid to young people between the ages of 15 and 30, who were full-time students during the past academic year and intend to return to school full-time in the coming academic year.

The subsidy ranges from 100 percent for not-for-profit sector employees to 50 percent for public and private sector employees (for companies with under 50 employees – just about every single social enterprise). This is an incredible opportunity for the social impact sector to build a stronger present and develop a pipeline of future employees.

How to Pitch Your Own Job

Rather than peppering your resume across any and every organization that might be, possibly, maybe hiring, try pitching your own job to a company that fits your passion and the Summer Jobs Program. Click here for the link to the program, and make your pitch in line with the application. Heck, make your pitch irresistible by sending the company an already completed application, all they have to do is review and submit.

If you’re not sure how to pitch your own job description, we’ve got you covered there as well. Check out our chronicling of these summer interns to get a realistic picture of what companies expect from their interns. This is a fabulous way to get ahead of the competition, since you’ve just written a job opening for which you’re the perfect candidate.

Don’t delay, the application period ends March 11, 2016.

Write Your Pitch From the Perspective of How You Can Help

Prime Minister Trudeau was right on the mark when he said the program positions Canadian youth as “not just leaders of tomorrow, but as leaders today.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves Mr. Prime Minister.

We’ve already written on the the many benefits of internships, including the three reason why an organization should invest in an internship program. Don’t be shy about incorporating these benefits in your pitch, even with a hefty salary subsidy you’re still going to have to sell yourself.