Should Your Child Consider a Summer Job?

Is your student still deciding what to do this summer? Maybe they need a break from academic challenges and want something different. If this is the case, they may want to consider a summer job.  

Like extracurriculars, summer jobs are a great way for your student to build confidence, learn responsibility, teamwork, and leadership skills all while earning some extra cash. As we’ve stated countless times, all of these skills make your student stand out to college admissions officers. But there are additional benefits to summer jobs. For example, your student will likely meet new people that come from a variety of different backgrounds, which will help them gain a perspective of the world that they might otherwise be unaware of. This in turn might inspire them to take action in their community, or at least reveal a vision of a future that they can help create if they put their time and energy toward that goal. All of this is great material for independent or academic projects that will ultimately appear in the Personal Statement. 

Other Benefits
In 2022, we are living in what has been deemed The Great Resignation. What this means is that more adults are leaving low-paying jobs, particularly in the customer service and hospitality industries, creating a labor shortage. This shortage is being filled by teenagers looking to start building their employment resumés. According to Business Insider, these jobs are paying competitive wages, typically $2 more an hour than what was paid before the pandemic. In some instances, wages have even doubled. One teenager told The Wall Street Journal that she earns $25-30 an hour for babysitting. 

So if your student is struggling to fill their summer with productive summer plans, tell them to consider a summer job. They may hate you at the moment, but they will thank you later.