How to apply

The Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) job ads are closed. Opportunities for summer 2025 will be posted in late fall 2024. 

Job alerts

Sign up for job alerts to find out when new job ads are posted for the 2025 cycle.

  • Under the “Job Categories” section, select “Student Summer Employment Opportunities”.
  • Under the “Minimum Salary” section, select “<$40,000”.
  • Under the “Subscription Length” section, select “9 months”.

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Program benefits

Bring your passion to help create a stronger Ontario and start your summer job here!  We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, where employees have the resources and opportunities they need to be fulfilled and inspired to move Ontario forward.

Here are the top three reasons to apply for Summer Employment Opportunities:

  1. Learn: Jump start your career, whether you want to learn business skills, use your French language skills, help out in a lab, or work outdoors. Put the knowledge you’ve acquired at school into action.
  2. Grow: Enhance your skills and expand your network by working on projects, leading initiatives, and sharing your ideas. Transfer the skills you learn to your future school and work experiences.
  3. Contribute: In addition to advancing your professional and personal skills, you will also give back to your community. Spend your summer working to support the interests of Ontarians!

Application deadlines

Please Note:

  • Closing dates vary, depending on the job type. Refer to the specific job ad to confirm the closing date for the job(s) you are applying to.
  • The deadline date for each job ad is located at the top left-hand corner of the job ad. It will say “apply by:”
  • All job ads close at 11:59 PM on the closing date specified on the job ad.
  • Late applications will not be accepted.

For more information about the jobs available in each career category please refer to the SEO Job Type Library (Opens in a new tab). You can apply to multiple job types.

If you have difficulty submitting your application, please contact SEO@ontario.ca during the posting period. We cannot provide assistance regarding the submission of your application after the job ad deadline.

Applications are accepted online only. Students must apply directly to job ads on the Ontario Public Service Careers website (Opens in a new tab) to be considered for the jobs advertised.

If you require a disability related accommodation in order to complete your application, please contact SEO@ontario.ca in advance of the posting deadline.

Program eligibility

Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria to be considered for summer employment.

  1. Student status footnote 1
    All summer jobs require you to have a "student" status. A student is defined as someone enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary institution (currently or for the fall semester) or has graduated within the past six months. If you graduated in December, you could apply for and start a summer student position in the Ontario Public Service up until June of the following year.
  2. Age
    footnote 1You must be a minimum of 15 years of age. Certain positions require you to be at least 18 years old. There is no maximum age limit for applying to summer student positions. You must meet the age requirements by the first day of employment.
  3. Residency in Ontario
    You must be living in the province of Ontario during the term of employment.
  4. Work status - eligibility to work in Canada
    You must be legally entitled to work in Canada. You are also required to have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) upon being hired. If you do not have a valid SIN and would like to obtain one, review the Government of Canada website (Opens in a new tab).

Application process

To apply for the Summer Employment Opportunities Program, you must submit one application for each student job you want to be considered for. There is no limit to the number of SEO jobs you can apply to.

  1. Visit our Summer Employment Opportunities job board to submit an application.
  2. Select the Job Type you are interested in applying for.
  3. Complete the application form before the deadline.
  4. Click apply! You should then be redirected to the confirmation splash page to confirm your application was successfully received. At that time, you will be provided with a link to complete a brief application survey. Data collected in the survey helps identify opportunities to improve the program and address potential barriers in the recruitment process. Feedback provided in the survey is anonymous and will help contribute to our efforts to build a more diverse, inclusive, and accessible Ontario Public Service.

Mandatory: You must attach one document with your application. It is recommended you attach a cover letter and resume (maximum of 5 pages in PDF, Microsoft Word, Rich Text (.rtf) or Plain Text (.txt)) as it is a key screening tool used by managers. Demonstrate your skills and/or experience from your school, extracurricular activities and any work or volunteer experience.

Need Help?

How will I know if my application was received?

  • After you submit your application, you will be directed to a “Thank you for applying” page after receipt of your submission.
  • If you provided a contact email in your application, you will also receive a confirmation email (remember to check your junk and/or spam mail folders).
  • Ensure you check your clutter, junk and/or spam mail folders throughout the recruitment process to make sure that emails have not mistakenly been directed there. Not responding to emails may result in you being excluded from advanced stages of the competition process if hiring managers are unable to contact you.

If you are concerned that your application was not successfully submitted, we recommend you submit a second application. If that still does not result in a confirmation, please contact SEO@ontario.ca during the posting period. We cannot provide assistance with submitting your application after the job ad deadline date.

If you would like to keep a copy of the application you submitted, you will need to copy and save your information prior to submitting. Responses cannot be updated after submitting an application.

The selection process

When will I be contacted for an interview?

Resume screening typically takes 2 to 5 weeks after the job ad closes; however, some postings may receive a high volume of applications, so screening could take longer. Please note, only applicants shortlisted for an interview will be contacted by phone and/or email.

Please review our Interview Tip Sheet (Opens in a new tab) to support with preparing for the interview process.

Please note: applications may be matched to multiple positions; therefore, you may be contacted by multiple managers for an interview for the same SEO job type. You may accept multiple interview invitations however, if you accept an offer of employment please be sure to update the other interested hiring manager(s) as soon as possible to ensure they are apprised of any changes to your availability.

I've been contacted for an interview, what do I do?

  • Make sure to collect all relevant information you need to know to attend the interview: Virtual/in-person, location/address, date/time, which position/ministry, contact person, etc.
  • Prepare for the interview: conduct research on the ministry, branch and program. See the Tools and Resources section for useful information.
  • Make sure to arrive on time. Work attire varies per location, but business-attire is usually considered appropriate for an office job interview.
  • Interviews in the OPS are conducted in a formal panel setting. Student positions mirror this experience and may have more than one interviewer.
  • Make sure to highlight your individual skills and experience including school, volunteer and work. Think about why you are the best person for the job.
  • Ask questions.

The OPS is an equal opportunity employer. If you have any accommodation needs in order to participate fully in any aspect of the interview process, please raise this to the person setting up your interview.

If you are unable to attend the interview or need to reschedule, please make sure to contact the hiring manager at least 24 hours in advance.

It is your decision about which job offer(s) to accept or decline. Please notify managers in a timely manner if you choose to decline an offer.

Frequently asked questions

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions document for more information on the Summer Employment Opportunities program (Opens in a new tab).

Tools and resources

Promotional materials

About the Ontario Public Service

Contacts: