Summer Job Prospects

The Wall Street Journal on March 10 had a great article about the summer job market for teens. We don't need anyone else telling us how tough the job market is. I thought the author had some great ideas. Here's a summary and a link to the article.

If at first you don't succeed; try, try again.

Now's the time to start looking for summer work. Apply everywhere and make sure to ask for work at places that focus on summer activities, like government-run youth programs, resorts and vacation spots, camps and amusement parks, child- and elder-care providers where replacements are needed for workers on vacation, moving, packing and lawn-care companies, landscapers. And, don't forget the regular places: movie theaters, restaurants and clothing or accessory stores.
Don't accept that nobody is going to hire a teenager - if you don't apply they sure aren't going to hire you.

Colleges prefer that students take overseas service trips rather than have a summer job.

What? Are you kidding? Colleges know that most of those exotic summer experiences, including leadership programs at top colleges, are opportunities for kids whose parents can pay. Actually, paid or volunteer work in your hometown shows grit and determination. Plus, it shows colleges that you're dependable enough to hold down a job.
Actually, colleges want to be sure that you're doing something other than sitting at home playing videogames or networking yourself socially all day long. Paid work, volunteer work, or one of those great summer experiences can be equally beneficial to your college application. The real value of the experience is what you learn from it and how you tell the story about what you learned, on your college application.

Think you're too cool to flip burgers?

One of my best summer jobs was the chief cook and bottle washer at the Tip Top Diner, a small cafe(accommodated 12 patrons at a counter!) specializing in chili dogs. It was real work, believe me, and I met interesting people. Maybe future employers never ate there, and maybe they never wanted to, but they learned that I could handle responsibility and get along with people and multi-task(stir the chili, flip the pancakes and ring up payment!!).
The point is that you never know what you're going to learn from a work situation. If it's honest work, try it.

Maybe you're an entrepreneur!

Mow lawns, shovel snow, do errands.... sell needed services to your neighbors and friends. What other chores do people need help with - wash cars, clean garages, wash windows, baby sit. The cash can add up. If you do good work, your customers will tell their friends. Heck, maybe you'll even have to hire other teens to help get all that work done. Hard physical labor is what people used to do before there we all went to the gym to work out.

Thanks to Sue Shellenbarger for her great WSJ article.