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Summer jobs anyone?

jng

jng

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 6, 2007
1,011
1
Germany
A Boston Globe article, Summer jobs regain some luster, says that only 50% of American teenagers seek a summer job! Compared to 60% in 2000.

I don't want to start a social debate, but rather ask this question: What do you do for a summer job? And what have you done, if you don't work?

I worked as a junior camp counselor at a day camp and had kids spray ketchup on me. But mostly it was fun. I got to sightsee Boston for free.

I worked many years at a restaurant answering phones and washing dishes. My hands still hate me for it and moisterizers are my best friend now.

I've also worked in a hot unairconditioned public school doing web design. We built a moat of soda cans around the room....until one day a teacher knocked it down (accidentally)! Then one day, we gathered them all in a trash bag and gave them to one of those people who go through trashcans/dumpsters for them.
 
My summer jobs:

1. Arcade
2. Go-Kart Track
3. Mini Golf Place
4. Golf Course
5. Restaurant(doing many things)
6. Computer Maintenance, service and repair at my high school.
 
I currently do not have a summer job. Living in a town that envies commercial business to maintain our "status" (what ever that is), there aren't too many places to work, and I refuse to work at McDonald's or the grocery store. Even the surrounding towns don't have much too offer.

My dad could get me a job at his work, but unfortunately he works 1.5 hours away from my house and I'd rather not wake up at 5:00 and come home at 8:00 with him.

Starting in August I have a job for the local school system installing and moving around computers (3 week job)- I get paid $8.62/hr which is good, i think min wage here is $7.65. Unfortunately, working for the Board of Education requires me to get fingerprinted :)rolleyes:) which they do not pay for so technically the first 2.5 hours I work will pay off my fingerprinting bill which is $24.

I almost got a job with my neighbors masonry company, but said that he didn't "like to hire white suburban teenagers because it's too much work for them and quit after a week" and prefers to hire urban teens because they work harder.

I also applied for a job at the Park & Rec department to sell tickets and stuff at the park's swimming pond. Instead they hired a 26 year old teacher that could be getting paid a lot more than $8 an hour doing something else.

I know the owner of a local summer day camp, he said all positions were full and to ask him in January because he would hire me if he had space. He also recommended I become a lifeguard because there is a shortage of them.
 
I really only started doing summer jobs after I graduated high school, and spent my high school summers at nerd camps :p

My past summer jobs, starting with the earliest, are:

  • Labourer for town festival
  • Research assistant at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
  • Head lifeguard at outdoor pool (two summers)
  • Serving and bartending at a resort (concurrently with my second year at the pool)
  • Software developer for one of my professors
  • Junior engineer at the Canadian Space Agency (current)

I like to get around, haha :)
 
I never had a "summer" job in high school. I worked year round at Target (and it sucked). I worked more hours during the summer though.

In college, I have a summer internship, if that counts, as a software engineer. I hate pogramming, but it's a great company and I'm almost guaranteed a job with them when I graduate doing networking stuff.
 
Eh... I hate looking for a job. I've been applying for jobs for the past couple of months. Only got one interview and wasn't accepted because they were looking for a long term associate. I've basically applied to a bunch of retail chains, toy's R us, Staples, Target, haven't heard form any of them. I've called them and all they tell me is, I'll let the manager know you called. It's the same **** every summer for me. I could go on but I think I'll stop here. :mad:
 
I have a year-round job, but work more during the summer. I type addresses and zip codes for the USPS. Boring job, but I can listen to my ipod all day.
 
I had my first job last summer, got it for the sole purpose of buying my macbook, but yah it was fast food, a local chain, i quit back in January due to everyone i knew from school quitting there also, working with friends kept it bearable, im 17 and am looking for another job now, and i have to say the job searching process sucks, ive applied at maybe 5 places and have had 2 interviews, but haven't been hired anywhere yet...im sick of looking, ill work anywhere at this point, well except fast food again...:rolleyes:
 
I never wanted a job when I was a teen but when I tried to look for casual work doing my undergraduate at uni it was either I had no experience or I was too old :mad:
 
Its also a problem when you have to be 16 to get a job anywhere for the most part, except from working on a farm (at least in Connecticut)

So 13,14, 15 you can't do anything really. 16, 17, 18, 19 you can. Thats about half, which I guess is part of the problem why 50% of teenagers don't have jobs. Also, before the age of 16 or 16 and 4 months (depending on where you live), you can't drive, which can make getting to a job hard if your parents can't drive you.
 
ErikCLDR said:
So 13,14, 15 you can't do anything really. 16, 17, 18, 19 you can. Thats about half, which I guess is part of the problem why 50% of teenagers don't have jobs.
Click to expand...


Maybe you should try reading the article....

Boston Globe said:
Only 49 percent of American teenagers ages 16 to 19 were working -- or even seeking a job
Click to expand...



The problem is that kids are being told that the only thing that matters is making A's and getting into a good school, versus actually working for those A's and not acting entitled to them.
 
But anyway, two of my three summer jobs turned into wonderful careers. One that I am currently doing only at a much higher level as you can imagine. I say give summer jobs a chance and take some of them seriously because they could turn into a career for you. I do quite well after taking a summer job at 17. Well, technically I worked from 15 1/2 on (not to mention what I did under the table) when it was legal and I worked while going to school. I admire those kids who can just work during the summer. ;)
 
it5five said:
I have a year-round job, but work more during the summer. I type addresses and zip codes for the USPS. Boring job, but I can listen to my ipod all day.
Click to expand...
Some people's iPod's won't last all day...:rolleyes:

I work at Target in Electronics. My training was rather humorous: "What is a megapixel and why does it matter? What is the difference between 720p and 1080p? Do you know what some common memory cards are? Do you know how to use the two different forms of keys? What is the video game rating system and how does it work? Oh, finally, we don't have any Wiis in stock, and we don't know when we will get more in. If there is a line of 10-20 people outside when you come in in the morning, check to see if we got Wiis in, because that's likely why they're standing there in line."

Lasted about a minute and a half...before the person training me decided that I knew more than enough. :p
 
Let's see here. To disprove lazy teenagers theory:

The summer between my freshman and sophomore years I worked at a restaurant and continued to work there nights and weekends throughout my sophomore year. Between sophomore and junior year, my hatred of waiting tables/waiters assistant/ restaurant b***hness lead me to quit that job and look for something less awful.

I found a job as an intern for our local CHL hockey team www.okcblazers.com

and have been working there ever since. Absolutely fantastic job.
 
ModestPenguin said:
Let's see here. To disprove lazy teenagers theory:

The summer between my freshman and sophomore years I worked at a restaurant and continued to work there nights and weekends throughout my sophomore year. Between sophomore and junior year, my hatred of waiting tables/waiters assistant/ restaurant b***hness lead me to quit that job and look for something less awful.

I found a job as an intern for our local CHL hockey team www.okcblazers.com

and have been working there ever since. Absolutely fantastic job.
Click to expand...

When I get older and settle into life, I plan on working at a restaurant as a hobby.
 
Living in the middle of nowhere in Wales I can't find a damn job. There's absolutely nothing and I've trawled every single shop and place in town.
:mad:
 
3 summers at a café/ice cream shop. I love the multiple ice cream scooper references in the article!
2 summers shelving books at the town public library (before I was old enough to really work...I did it through my town's summer job program).

Summer jobs are where it's at. :D I've got quite a bit of seniority now at the ice cream shop...I help out the manager, train new people and make some management decisions myself. Just today the manager explained to another employee that she had to limit the girl's hours to give me a full 40 hour week...having been here a while pays off.

I also do some web design in the summertime, which has proven to be very lucrative. :)

article said:
Mahoney also believes that it can be therapeutic for some stressed-out students to "get a breather," by doing something in the summer that isn't intellectually challenging.
Click to expand...

I think that this is important...parents and kids seem to feel that they should be under constant pressure to perform intellectually...but scooping ice cream in the summer is an awesome break from the responsibility that comes with school. All I have to do is show up to work and do my simple job, be nice to people and smile. No pressure.
 
ErikCLDR said:
I refuse to work at McDonald's or the grocery store.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:

-kritter- said:
i have to say the job searching process sucks, ive applied at maybe 5 places and have had 2 interviews, but haven't been hired anywhere yet...
Click to expand...

Guess what? It sucks when you graduate too!
It is important to work young so that one learns earlier how to interview well and makes mistakes earlier. I once went into a interview with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (summer internship for inner city kids) in sneakers, khakis and an untucked button shirt! That was totally embarrassing when I saw everyone else wearing suits, but an important lesson learned early.

jessica. said:
But anyway, two of my three summer jobs turned into wonderful careers.
Click to expand...

Making websites was first a hobby and then a summer job and now it's a career, at least potential career. I'm sidetracked doing something else now though :)

I think kids also don't realize that they can explore careers. And yes working at a restaurant is exploring career fields. Maybe customer service isn't foryou. :)

OutThere said:
2 summers shelving books at the town public library (before I was old enough to really work...I did it through my town's summer job program).
Click to expand...

I forgot about that one! I shelved books at the Harvard Medical School library after school as a freshman in high school. I didn't have an iPod then, just a walkman. I got paid $7/hr to lift weights (those medical ones are huge and the shelves high) and listen to music. :)
 
jng said:
:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Hey, even if I wanted to work there, the chances of me getting a job are very very small.

My town has 13,000 people (small), 41 square miles of land (big), and has very few businesses. There is a grocery store, a CVS, a local pharmacy, a McDonalds, a Subway*, Starbucks*, Cingular Wireless*, TJ Maxx*, Dunkn Donuts*. There are some restaurants but those jobs are taken faster than you can say "I want a job". One of them actually only hires 14 year old girls under the table.

Our taxes are over $13,000 a year, just to show you how small our tax base is.

* You have to be 18
A lot of jobs want you work year round such as our hardware store
 
ErikCLDR said:
Hey, even if I wanted to work there, the chances of me getting a job are very very small.

...

Our taxes are over $13,000 a year, just to show you how small our tax base is.

* You have to be 18
A lot of jobs want you work year round such as our hardware store
Click to expand...

I wasn't rolling my eyes at you not working, but rather the attitude. How do you know the chances are small if you don't try? I've been to suburban Stop and Shops etc in places that small and actually you'd like it better than in Boston. In Boston, there's always customers, so you'd have to be constantly working!
 
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