Jobs were scarce, and I wasn't the only one stuck in the midst of a job-less, penniless summer. But this summer my friends and I learned from last year's misfortunes and we put ourselves out on the job market early to avoid missing out on all of the summer job opportunities.
As a teenager, having a summer job is critical. There are the obvious financial reasons, the importance of staying occupied, and gaining work experience to add to the all-important resumé once you've reached a ripe age for starting the competitive job-search. The former, earning money, is most important not only for teenagers but for the economy on the whole. If teen earning dwindles, the revenue for clothing, electronics, and entertainment businesses will slow, too, as teens stop spending--and then everyone is in trouble.
So if you're one of those unemployed teens who's looking for a job, you're employed and in search of a better job, or you're just bored at your job and want something to read, I'll give you the low-down on the season's best and worst employment opportunities, based on survey and interview results.
Camp counselors get the full summer experience. Most of their time is spent outdoors participating in or monitoring essential summer activities i.e. outdoor games, sports, arts and crafts, or swimming. This can be a negative though, if you're not a fan of the heat. Survey results revealed that being a camp counselor can be "repetitive," too, and that "it's extremely tiring and a whole lot of work for the low pay."
"I tried to get a few jobs with better pay but everything was taken by the time I started applying," says one counselor. She wound up working at a low-profile, "pretty unstructured," summer camp, but adds that "I really like the other counselors and it's nice to meet new people my age over the summer, which I probably couldn't do if I was interning..."
On average, the surveyed counselors rated their job a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (ten being the perfect, non-existent, summer job).
But even though the counselors didn't seem to enjoy their day-time work, one adds that he gets nights and weekends off to socialize and unwind, "which is a huge plus," he says.
Life-guarding, another quintessential summer job, received much higher ratings, an 8 out of 10 on average.
"I applied to be a life-guard awhile ago, since I'd had the job two summers ago and knew I could get it again if I applied early enough," says a second-year life-guard. Life-guarding isn't all tanning by the pool eating ice-cream, though.
"I don't like having to clean-up the facilities after hours," she says, "and my boss can be really difficult." Though a friendly boss is always a perk, that's one aspect no job can guarantee.
Life-guarding also requires a good amount of unpaid work. A life-guard has to pass a physical fitness exam before getting "licensed," and has to take CPR classes before every summer.
And the hours are unpredictable, unless you request days off, so scheduling with friends and planning vacation days can get to be a hassle. One life-guard even says that, if she wants to plan a day at the beach, she has to check with her boss three weeks in advance and make sure he can switch around the shifts.
But, overall, the job is "pretty easy work," and, adds one good-looking guard, "I get to spend a lot of time in my bathing-suit."
For those who can tell (or care at all about) the difference between a 5-wood and a driver, caddying at a local golf course is a good way to make money over the summer. The Caddy interviewed said that “the money is really great” working as caddy, and learning more about the game of golf through aiding and observing better players helps him improve his game, too.
“The schedule is flexible for the most part,” he says, though working days inevitably mean early mornings. Before he’s sent out to caddy, he receives an e-mail from a coordinator asking if he’s available.
He rates his job an 8 out of 10, though he would not recommend the job to those who aren’t interested in golf.
As for indoor, and perhaps less seasonal jobs, openings as a host, busboy or waiter at a restaurant occasionally arise in the summertime, too.
One seating hostess says she found her job simply “by filling out an application and waiting for a call back.” She’d had no prior work experience, and needed only to give off the impression that she was friendly and organized in order to snag the job.
Skills in the flattery department can be a huge bonus, though, considering the majority of a waiter/waitress’s earnings will be from tips. The wages can vary from one place to another, but are usually low because of the tip factor.
One server and self-proclaimed “people person,” says that she’s met a bunch of great co-workers at her job, and that the included socializing and small-talk with customers are benefits to her as well.
She adds that “the hours are always the same, which is great because it allows me to schedule other things around my job.”
But if you’re choosing to work at a year-round business over the summer, careful to let the boss know you’ll be resigning post-season, unless you’re looking to ruin your connection for future job recommendations.
Restaurant work, on average, received a rating of 7 out of 10.
Cashiers gave their jobs slightly lower ratings, an average of 6, probably as a result of the lower pay. The pay cut makes some sense, though, since cashier work is usually less rigorous then restaurant work. The pay may vary significantly depending on the circumstances.
“I used to get paid under the table and just take home cash,” says one store clerk, “but where I work now I have to give some to taxes and I only get minimum wage.”
One cashier says that where he works, “the longer you stay at the job, the more you get paid.”
Most cashiers keep their jobs throughout the year rather than just for the summer. A few year-round bakery workers say that it gets “unbelievably hot” at work during the summer, and that they’d prefer to be outside, but overall they like their job and their co-workers.
Some ambitious teens choose to apply for internships over the summer. Lucky few will find jobs that are willing to pay interns for work, but most are unpaying.
“I’m interning for the Philadlelphia School District this summer,” says one interviewee. “I’m learning how to create reports and I get to work with other kids my age, which is fun.” She will not recieve any pay for her work this summer, but says that she likes her job regardless, since “it’s something to do and it’s a good opportunity.” Though her exact intent behind the “good opportunity” comment may be interpreted any number of ways, the pluses of her job include learning new skills as well as the chance to put work experience in a respectable field on a college transcript.
Positions as a paid intern are usually filled very early, as opposed to jobs as a lifeguard or camp counselor, which were aquired by some survey-takers as late as early June or late May. In fact, a few of those interviewed in other categories said they initially applied for intern work but were turned down.
“Unlike summer jobs I’ve had in the past,” says one paid intern, “I actually acquired this one very early on, in February.” He works 9-5, 5 days a week, and says that “there is a lot of idle time...which can be somewhat frustrating.”
When weighing his overall job experience, he concludes that boredom is the reigning negative, but “exposing myself to the working world, building a resumé and learning valuable lessons about finance and sales,” help even the scales, and the pay finally puts more weight on the positive side.
The application process can be rigorous for some internships, which may be, in part, a result of the failing economy making job competition more fierce. I know of 3 friends who wrote multiple essays and went through an intense interview process in early March for an internship they were not selected for.
Summer interns rated their jobs in a range of places on the 1-10 scale, with an average of 6, though the paid intern’s ratings raised the average by 2 full levels.
If you started late or just had some bad luck snagging a job this summer, there’s always the option of picking up odd jobs around the neighborhood. Odd jobs always have negotiable pay, optional hours, zero taxes, and they leave plenty of room for downtime.
One survey-taker said his only job this summer is being a “couch potato,” and occasionally mowing his neighbor’s lawns.
“It was my first choice,” he says, and comments that he is “loving summer.”
A formal job isn’t for everyone, so don’t be afraid to chill out all season and, if the money is tight, put up a neighborhood ad marketing yourself as a babysitter or yard worker--these kinds of jobs are always in high demand.
-Zoe Feingold
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