Any point applying for summer jobs

Is there any point applying for retail summer jobs where I live? I'm only going to be in my home town for another 8 weeks. Should I just start applying for jobs in my university town or is it too early? I'll be going back to university in 8 weeks.

You have probably left it too late to apply for summer jobs where you are currently living. Most summer roles with have started recruitment and hired staff a long time ago. It may be that there are companies that are looking for casual or short term roles, so it is worth seeing if there is anything available - look on job sites, social media or ask in person.

I would start applying for roles closer to when you are going back to university. It may be you need to be there to attend interview or group assessment, or there for the start date if it is earlier that your uni start date.

Do you have any prior experience? If not, if you don't manage to find work this summer, consider trying to get more experience, e.g. work experience or volunteering. This can lead you to develop skills that you can put on your CV to make you attractive to prospective employers when it comes to job hunting.

Thanks for your help. I have a bit of teaching experience (3 months) and some waitressing and food preparation assistant work (4 months) and 2 weeks of retail experience. I would be looking at retail/casual/hospitality roles. I think your idea for more experience is useful. I'll try and look for some work experience in retail. Or do you think I have enough retail experience?

If you have waitressing experience, have you asked local restaurants or cafes if they are looking for any temporary staff? The hospitality industry usually have a high turnover of staff and do hire throughout the year. You might have more luck with applying for waitressing roles rather than retail. In your spare time, you could look to do volunteering to gain more skills. If you are interested in retail roles for example, is it possible to volunteer at a local charity shop?