The summer’s fast approaching and in the midst of finals and moving out, one thing is looming in the minds of students all around the country: summer jobs. To some, summer jobs conjure up fun images of working as a camp counselor or picking up a few shifts at your local surf shop (I didn’t recently rewatch Laguna Beach if anyone is wondering . . . LC’s bell bottoms tho). Unfortunately, not everyone is nearly as lucky as Kristin Cavallari was when it comes to summer employment. I myself have spent two summers, and will most likely spend a third working retail.
One student, who has preferred to remain anonymous, worked at a well known clothing store last summer. “You’d think it’d be a teen girl’s dream to work there,” she says, “but to tell the truth it was far from it.” She sites rude customers, messy fitting rooms, and long shifts when it was over 100 degrees outside as just a few of the struggles working in a retail setting. “People think that because you work in retail, especially a job where you’re paid an hourly wage and not on commission, they can treat you like crap.” Additionally, employers tend to use various tricks in order to maximize profits. “They had me working just under 40 hours a week as part time so they wouldn’t have to call me full time and give me benefits,” she continued. Some employers will also use “call-ins,” which is when the employee has to call the store a few hours before their shift to see if they will be needed that day. This is inconvenient because the employee is unable to make plans for the day, and if they are not needed they lose out on potential wages. However as bad as retail can be, there are certainly many benefits. “The girls on my team and our managers were fantastic,” says the same anonymous student. She also noted that “The custumers who remembered you by name, gave you a shout out at the register for doing such a great job, and were overall just nice people made it almost worth it, though they were few and far between.”
However, retail is not the only summer job out there. Some students are able to work in other industries. Sophomore Stephanie Ruffalo spent time working at her parents heating and cooling company during her freshman year as well as the summer before. “They pay all their workers a living wage, way above the $8.15 [Michigan] minimum,” she says, “I worked whatever hours pleased me and I ran the website, Facebook page, and did warranties and filing.” Perks included coffee from HVAC workers and tagging along with her father on field trips to see repairs and installations. “I learned a lot that summer and could probably fix some minor problems with the units in our apartment next year if they arise!”
In terms of finding a summer job that you actually enjoy, apply in person. Big-box stores with a lot of turnover look at online applications, but if you’re really interested in a specific place or field, your best bet is to show up. This shows initiative and you’ll be more likely to get hired! And if you want to get a head start, give your favorite store a call today and ask about how to apply once you get home. Good luck, and have a wonderful $ummer!