Great Summer Jobs

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Explore Careers and Gain Valuable Experience

Summer break is a great opportunity for your child to pursue her interests and gain greater experience in paid or volunteer jobs, internships, and other activities. In addition to giving her life experience and a sense of fulfillment, meaningful summer activities are also seen by college admission officers as a demonstration of her ability to act responsibly and make a commitment.

Your child's high school years are also a great time to test her expectations of careers against the practical reality of a work situation. College classes will not necessarily provide an understanding of what to expect on the every day level—this is something she can only learn through experience.

Your child will be most successful in a position where her interests are being stimulated and challenged. She should approach her summer job search by taking stock of her interests and thinking creatively about how they can be applied to a career. For example, if she likes the outdoors, she may find a position at a national park or at an outdoor summer camp. She should start her search well before the summer to explore the full range of opportunities.

How to Start

There are many ways to search for opportunities. The Internet can yield great results for a persistent student. One of the best ways to find a great opportunity locally, however, is simply by asking family and friends. Keep in mind that not all the opportunities that arise will necessarily suit your child. For example, if your child dedicates most of her free time to painting, she may not be so successful at a marketing firm.

Special resources may also be offered through your child's high school. Her high school counselor may have helpful information about opportunities in the community. Some high schools even have job and internship boards with special postings for their students. Your child should make an appointment with her counselor to learn more about her high school's resources.

The phone book is also a great way for your child to find businesses of interest locally. She should be prepared if she decides to cold-call businesses, for a variety of responses—not all might be positive. More often than not, though, people will respond positively to a serious student who has real enthusiasm. Even if the businesses she calls have no job openings, she will probably get helpful suggestions and advice.

Create a Job

During her job search your child may come across a potential employer that just can't afford to hire her. If she's really interested in working there, she should consider offering her services for free, possibly part time if she has other commitments. The job skills she gains may be worth their weight in gold—just as students pay college professors to teach, work experience can be equally valuable. Your child should treat any unpaid jobs and internships as she would a paid position. She should be on time, pay attention, and work hard. In return she'll get great skills, a glowing recommendation, and possibly even an offer of a paid position down the road.

Young Entrepreneur

Your child can also gain great experience by establishing her own small business locally. She should be cautioned beforehand that running one's own business can be challenging and requires a great deal of responsibility.

There are many potential small businesses your child could create. For example, if she knows a foreign language, people may be willing to pay her to teach them how to speak it. Or, if she's good with plants, she could spend the summer as a landscaper. She should try to line up clients before the summer to see if she will have a sufficient amount of business.

Deepening a Commitment

If your child has a job during the year that really interests her, she should consider getting more involved over the summer. She should ask not just for more hours, but also for more responsibility, to gain additional skills and experience. Sticking with one organization or job gives your child depth and breadth—and shows that she's made a real commitment.

Other Options

Keep in mind, your child doesn't necessarily have to have a traditional job. Colleges like to see that students have done something constructive with their summers. Your child should consider attending a summer learning program. Many colleges and other organizations offer programs geared to high school students, and, in addition to those, most colleges will allow your child to try out a real college class.

Spending a summer pitching in at a local charity is a great way for your child to learn about life and herself. It can also help her develop leadership skills that will last a lifetime.