Sarah Crosbie, Employment Counsellor at Port Stanley library

It was that time of year again. One school year ended, but only to begin all over again in four very short months. While many people typically view the summer months as a time to relax and to take in as many vacations as possible, students much like myself, see it as quite the contrary – we see it as a critical short period of time to work as much as possible in an attempt to offset the continuously rising cost of post-secondary education.

Having held various student positions over the course of my student career, including anything and everything from line work in a crayon factory, to a grocery store clerk, to a general golf course worker, I decided to take a bit of a different approach to my summer job search. This time around, as a student entering their Masters of Social Work, I was looking for a summer job that would not only help me develop many of the skills that hold meaning to my future career as a social worker, but that would also introduce me to an area of social work that I may potentially work in one day. It didn't take long before I came across a posting for an Employment Consultant for Employment Services Elgin that represented many of the things that I was looking for.

And now, here I sit, three days a week in the Port Stanley Library where I am able to provide Port Stanley residents, in one convenient location, many of the services that are provided through the main office located in St. Thomas. Some of these services include things like assistance with job searches, access to job postings, resume and cover letter development, interview tips, and the Summer Jobs Service Program - a service specifically designed by the Provincial Government for students much like myself.

Although the summer hasn't quite come to an end, I feel as though I've already taken away a wealth of both information and experience that I will carry with me into any future career. It has been a pleasure working with the Port Stanley community and I'm looking forward to what the rest of the summer has to offer.

The Port Stanley services operate out of the Port Stanley Library on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until the end of August. Drop in to see what we can do for you.