As we prepare to turn the corner into the warmer months, many teens are starting to think about what has become a classic American rite of passage: getting a summer job. Summer jobs can be a great way for students to make some cash, gain experience in the workforce and learn some valuable new skills. Although the total number of 16 to 19-year-olds that work in the summer has dropped over 20 percent since 1998, many Northwood students are still taking the initiative to get hired this year.
When you think of the quintessential teen summer jobs, gigs like lifeguarding or flipping burgers might come to mind. Students often settle for relatively lower-paying jobs due to lack of experience and inability to commit to longer hours during the school year. Regardless of pay, many students have reported enjoying their summer jobs.
Senior Rachel Covington, who works as a barista in Chapel Hill, highly recommends jobs in food service and retail for learning how to interact with customers and for general work experience.
“My favorite part of being a barista is being able to interact with so many different people,” Covington said. “Although it does look a little bit different right now [due to the pandemic], it is still something that I look forward to every time I work.”
Senior Elizabeth Cremeans has a job as a lifeguard at a recreation club in Carrboro. In addition to watching over swimmers in the pool, Cremeans has to perform extra duties such as cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming the pool.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Cremeans said. “My favorite part is whenever there’s downtime. Sometimes we get to swim in the pool while we aren’t on the stand, and I’ve gotten to make a lot of friends.”
Although neither senior’s current job relates to their planned career path, both believe that any job can help prepare them for the workforce.
“I was mostly interested in becoming a barista because it is a skill that you can take with you virtually anywhere,” Covington said. “For example, if I were to get up and move to New York tomorrow, I would almost be guaranteed a job as there is a different coffee shop on literally every block.”
Paying jobs are not the only option for teens, either. Internships can be a great way for students to gain professional experience in their planned career path. Senior Ella Sullivan interned with Shannon Media in the summer of 2020. Sullivan plans to major in journalism in college and hopes to work in the publishing or journalism fields as an editor or writer after college.
“Throughout the summer, I did many different things,” Sullivan said. “I did a lot of communication, working to contact sources and confirm facts. I also edited others’ articles and layouts. Eventually, I got to write some things for Chatham Magazine and have my photographs appear in print.”
Sullivan said her internship gave her a competitive advantage in her planned field.
“The internship with Shannon Media taught me what working for a real publication is like and allowed me to learn techniques those who have not had professional experience would not know,” Sullivan said.
When it comes to summer work experience, it generally pays off to start looking sooner rather than later. Most employers begin looking for seasonal applicants between February and May. Not all jobs require a resume, but it could be useful to prepare one in case you decide to apply for a job that needs it. Students looking for work experience should check out online job listings on websites like glassdoor.com or indeed.com. They should also consider reaching out to family and friends to see if they are aware of any local opportunities.
Graphic by Lily Kate Witcher.
