By Ashley Anthony
Whilst I’ve mentioned quite a bit about volunteerism, one summer activity I have yet to talk about is perhaps the most productive- a summer job. Summer jobs provide an avenue for personal development, including but not being limited to, confidence, ability to work and communicate with others as a part of a team, better time management, and increased professionalism, all whilst allowing you to earn a little money.
Now, I understand that spending one’s free time working might not exactly be an appealing concept, and I’m not saying that you should work every summer or even all summer, but there are some unique benefits to be had from living the working experience. For students straight out of high school, looking to move on to college, summer jobs can be a great way to experience working with others outside of a school experience. You are given responsibilities and it requires a significant amount of maturity and independence to complete these efficiently.
Time management comes in when the onus is on you to determine which tasks are most important, which can be done together to reduce time wastage, and how to complete the most within a day. Time management improves with practice, and is an extremely valuable skill in higher education, where students are expected to almost be self-reliant. Confidence is built when you put yourself into a new environment and realize that despite the challenges you are able to overcome, and succeed. Even if your summer job is working as a cashier, every new skill mastered brings some feeling of accomplishment: even if that skill is learning how to hold your tongue with a particularly loud customer. Furthermore, part time jobs are something to add to a resume in the future. Although they might not be related to your field of study, it’s definitely better than nothing, and they show that you have had experience working in a professional environment before. Jobs can even help you discover things about yourself that you didn’t know. Maybe you work exceedingly well under pressure, you’re inventive, or maybe you love working with numbers, but you’ve never known because you’ve never been in a situation where these things were required of you.
Finally, summer jobs can introduce you to people of all walks of life: different ages, different communities and different beliefs. It’s good to meet people and interact with them so that you can learn about new perspectives, and challenge your own ideas and stances about issues.
Having said all of this, it’s still completely okay if you’d prefer to spend the time at home with family, friends, or even a caring pet. But there’s also nothing wrong with giving it a chance. You might like it more than you expect.
