The hidden benefits of your summer job

Hi! How are you guys? How's the job hunt? How were midterms? Everything going well?

Uh huh. Uh huh. Okay. *nods understandingly*

You there, with that skeptical expression…what are you mumbling??

*cue dramatic gasp*

Did you just say that summer jobs aren’t worth it?? HOW DARE YOU.

I kid, I kid. But on that note, allow me to go off on a tangent about the secret treasure trove of skills and opportunities to glean through a summer job.

A lot of the time, students who are hired for summer jobs aren’t working in their ideal field (i.e. an Anthropology student probably doesn’t want to scoop ice cream at the Ex for the rest of their life). This can sometimes throw students off because they want to find a position that’s specific to what they’re studying. As noble as that is, realistically, there are few positions for students in relevant fields for a short term like the summer.

It may be a bit hard to understand at first, but that job at the mall could teach you a lot of skills that you can transfer onto future experiences. First things first: you get to learn about the industry that you choose to work in, and their culture. Next up: in most summer jobs, there’s an aspect of customer service, which teaches you communication skills and interpersonal skills. These skills will become useful the next time you’re working in a group situation.

No matter which job you choose, you’ll learn time management skills and how to think and act according to the situation you’re presented. Think of it this way: someone working at a fast food joint has to be quick on their feet to fill orders, manage their time well so that they don’t burn food or take too long, and develop good communication skills so that everyone in the kitchen knows what’s going on.

Don’t be so hard on your summer job aspirations! Everything has a few nuggets of gold, and you’ll learn a lot more than you expected. Good luck! J

-Farihah