Are you starting to plan your summer? If you’re in between thoughts of sleep-away camp, an academic program, or even a vacation, consider getting a summer job. It seems that very few high school students actually work over the summer. The ones that do, however, know the many benefits that can come from a summer job.

First and foremost, a summer job does not have to make you miserable. Many frown when they hear the word “work.” Why would someone subject himself or herself to work during the o

nly time of the year they are not doing schoolwork? The truth is that summer jobs don’t always have to feel like work. Try to pick a job that interests you. For example, if you love

the sun and swimming, work as a lifeguard. If

you like children, become a camp counselor. By picking the right job, you can still enjoy your summer while earning a bit of cash.

Of course, students won’t always be able to get their dream summer job. You could be left to work at the grocery store or bussing tables. In which case, your summer job will not be so enjoyable. However, you can still gain much from this experience. Work builds character and discipline. Learning how to navigate the workplace at a young age will most certainly help in the future. You will be more prepared than most when you enter your career and have experience working under authority, developing relationships with coworkers, and being productive. There is one more lesson that most students who

A young adult stocks the shelves at a grocery store as part of their job.
Photo courtesy of Crafty Stitches.

have worked undesirable jobs can attest to. Their jobs taught them what they do not want to do with their lives. Speaking to students who have worked at ShopRite or McDonald’s, I have often heard them deem their summer jobs to be motivators for them to study hard during the school year. Nothing will encourage you more to work towards college and eventually a more favorable job than working an undesirable one.

Finally, there is the obvious reason: money! In the hours that you are not working, you will most likely be going out to the mall, the movies, or restaurants. As you get older and your parents stop paying for these activities; it won’t hurt to have some extra cash. Even if you’re not a big spender, that money can be saved for college- when you will most definitely need it- or go towards a car. You will certainly thank yourself in the future when you rely on the money you earned.

Working a job is a gratifying experience and a rite of passage as a young adult. It is an inch of responsibility that will grant you a mile of freedom. This summer, instead of applying for a program at some university that costs you, apply for a job that will pay you in both experience and money!

By: Kaitlyn Brown’19, Co-Junior Editor-in-Chief