Applying for a summer student job

The City of Hamilton accepts applications in December for summer student jobs for students who are enrolled at a secondary or post-secondary institution or institution of higher learning.

We accept summer student applications from high school students. High school students who are hired usually have specific skills, special training or have completed certain courses, such as Lifeguard or Playlot Leaders course.

There are four categories that you can apply for:

Returning (only for students that completed the full summer term last year)

General labourers

Recreation (returning and new)

Course specific/Administrative

Who can apply To apply for a summer student job, you must: Be legally entitled to work in Canada as a student

Be at least 14 years old AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION. Certain positions have age restrictions. Please refer to the appropriate category for minimum age requirements.

Have a valid Social Insurance Number (If your SIN # starts with a number “9”, you will be required to submit the work/study permit with your new hire package)

Be enrolled full-time in a secondary or post-secondary educational institution or institution of higher learning and returning to school in the fall OR If you are a returning summer student, you must have held a summer student position last summer. You must have received a favourable re-hire status on your end-of-season performance evaluation. If you worked with us last summer and your work performance was considered acceptable, you will be given the opportunity to return to the section where you worked provided work is available. Returning summer students that held a position last year will be given first consideration to return to their previous position, provided they meet the hiring criteria. Returning students do not need to be reinterviewed if returning to the same position.

Students who are applying for the first time and have the qualifications for the position they are applying for will be given consideration for the positions remaining after returning summer students have been considered. You will only be contacted if you are selected for an interview.

The date that you submit your application and resume may be taken into consideration if we have a high number of equally qualified applicants.

We do not accept transfer requests for summer student positions. If you want to transfer to a different position, you must apply to the new position as a new applicant. There is no guarantee that you will be hired if you apply to a new position.

You may apply to more than one category If you worked with us last summer and your work performance was considered unacceptable, you will be advised that you will not be considered unless it is determined that there were extenuating circumstances affecting your performance. Driver’s licence requirements Some student positions require you to drive City-owned or leased vehicles. You must not have any demerit points on your full Ontario class G driver’s licence. Students holding an Ontario class G1 or G2 driver’s licence will not be allowed to drive City-owned or leased vehicles. Indicate the class of your driver's licence on your resume. You will be required to fill in a form to request a licence check from the Ministry of Transportation when you are hired.

How to apply You can apply online for a summer student job from November 25, 2019 to January 31, 2020. Visit the current opportunities section of the website for the summer student jobs. You will only be contacted if you are selected for an interview. We do not give status updates on individual applications. To apply for a summer student job, you need to complete the online questionnaire and submit your resume for each job that you want to apply for. All questions on the job questionnaire must be answered. You must include your updated resume. Failure to do so will disqualify your summer application. Resumes are required to match responses provided (i.e. if you answer “yes” to having paid experience working with children recreation, then this should be listed on your resume). If you do not complete questionnaire(s) in full and submit your resume, you will not be considered for summer employment. Any false statements made on the questionnaire or your resume will disqualify you or cause your dismissal. We will send you an email confirming that we received your application. You must provide a valid email address and complete the personal profile.

Make sure your resume is up-to-date with all important information outlining your skills and qualifications in detail before you start the application process. Once the posting has closed, you will not be able to make changes to your resume or online application. Hard copies will not be accepted. You can submit updated resumes while the posting is open.



Interview process Interviews start as early as mid-February and continue through to early June. If you are selected for an interview you will be contacted via email. Ensure you check your junk and spam folders for emails. The email will contain the following information: The proposed date and time of your interview.

The contact name and telephone number you will need to contact to confirm the proposed date and time of your interview.

The deadline for you to respond. If you are not living in Hamilton due to attending school, you may request a telephone interview. Please contact the person in the email to make alternate arrangements. It is your responsibility to confirm the date and time of your interview. If you do not contact us by the deadline in the email we send you, we will assume that you are not interested in the position and you will not be given further consideration. References You will need to provide two references. The decision to conduct reference checks will be at the discretion of the hiring department. A reference is a person who can speak to your work ethic and past experience. It is someone you have directly reported to. If you do not have two work-related references, you can use a teacher or leader in a volunteer group that you have been involved with.

Working with family members

There is an Anti-Nepotism Policy in effect that requires you to disclose any of your relatives that work for the City. Elected officials, appointed officers and City employees are not allowed to influence the hiring process.

If you have a relative that currently works for the City, you will be asked to disclose the following information at your interview:

Name of your relative who works for the City

Your relation to them

The department they work for

The location where they work

Student ID verification You will need to show your valid student identification at different points throughout the hiring process. If you do not or cannot provide valid student ID, you will not be considered for a position. Acceptable Student ID Valid student ID card (front and back).

In some cases, you may have to submit your letter of application along with your Student ID for proof of academic enrolment. If verification is not clear, the hiring manager may ask for further documentation from the school's Office of the Registrar.

Resumes for Summer Student jobs Your resume needs to have the following information: Your current contact information including your name, address, email address, mobile and home telephone numbers

The name of the school you attend and the name of any schools that you have attended in the past

Your current student status, either full-time or part-time

The name and number of years of the program you are in (for ex., Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences in Athletic Therapy four year program)

The year you are in of your current program (for ex., year three of a four year program)

The class of your valid Ontario driver’s licence or equivalent

A description of paid work experiences and/or volunteer experiences

A description of your computer skills

A description of your hands-on experience with different types of tools and equipment, including hand held, power tools and gas-operated tools.

A list of any up-to-date certificates you have. For example, standard first aid and/or CPR-C

A list of any associations you belong to

Police Vulnerable Sector Check You may be required to obtain a Police Vulnerable Sector Check at your own expense. To obtain your police check, go to the police service in the municipality where you permanently live. In order for your application to be considered, you must not have a criminal conviction for which a pardon has not been granted at the time of application and your police check must be satisfactory to the City.