When thinking about summer, young people usually daydream about long days at the beach, cold drinks by the pool, or driving with the windows down. For University students, summer is all about relaxing, getting away from their schoolwork, and spending time with family and friends.
Unfortunately, the time spent away from school comes with a price, literally. The cost of all of those beach badges, the amount of gas used to drive down to the shore, all of the times out to dinner with family and friends throughout the duration of the summer – it all adds up. Soon enough, people find themselves asking their parents for money or even digging under the couch cushions in search of loose change.
However, there is a way to solve this money issue that most young people seem to find themselves involved in: working a summer job. Although it is a common sense solution to the debt problem faced by many college students, a lot of young men and women cringe at the idea of working during their summer vacation in fear that they will lose all of their free time. Although they may lose some of their time off, the hours spent working will be well worth it when they find that their wallets have expanded substantially.
There are plenty of opportunities to work during the three and a half months that school is not in session, both on and off campus. Aimee Parks, the Assistant Director of human resources for student employment, explains that there are jobs on campus that provide stipend pay or hourly wages, depending on the position, as well as room and board. The orientation leader position, for example, is just one of the employment options that students have on campus.
For those who wish to work off campus, however, there are even more opportunities. Parks brings about the idea of babysitting, and also the thought of working in bars and restaurants down the shore. “I think this year, though, because of Hurricane Sandy, it might be a little more difficult to work in places like Sea Bright and Seaside,” she explained.
Carlye Burchell, a junior at the University, isn’t letting the damage to the New Jersey beaches stop her from working in nearby Belmar. “For the past two summers, I worked at The Shore Store in Seaside Heights, but this summer I hope to be working at Bar A in Belmar,” Burchell said. Although the damage to the boardwalk in Seaside may be quite extensive, not all of the Jersey shore has suffered that heavily. There are still a handful of beaches that are currently open, and some of them even plan on opening in May, which leads to several new opportunities for those who are job hunting.
But working exclusively in a place down the shore isn’t a person’s only option; there are plenty of opportunities for employment close to home. Summer camps, for example, are almost always looking for young people to hire as counselors and teachers. Jessica Dayton, another junior, began working at a summer camp at age 13, the same camp that she actually attended as a little girl. Although working with these programs can sometimes be a lot of work, Dayton admitted. “I love my summer job so much that I don’t even consider it working.”
That’s not to say that every job that exists during the summertime is fun and enjoyable. Some moneymaking experiences may be less pleasant than others but overall, working during the summer season is a great way to build your resume. Parks said, “Even if you have a job that isn’t necessarily relevant to your major, if it’s on your resume, it shows that you’re responsible.”
Not only will your resume benefit from working, but according to junior Lauren Cofield, “You’ll always learn things that can apply to future jobs and internships.” Regardless of what job you have, there are some aspects of work that seem to be universal. Even working during the summer will teach you things like punctuality and responsibility, and many people find themselves learning a handful of leadership skills. These skills will help tremendously down the road when it comes time to start looking into starting your career, so why not get a head start?
Working over the summer may seem like a huge hassle, especially now, when mostly everyone’s thoughts revolve around spending all day tanning or being lazy in front of the TV. But the pros outweigh the cons in this case, because getting a job during your time off from school will put money in your pocket, build your resume, and provide you with skills that will be useful in the future.
IMAGE TAKEN from zdnet.com
