Not interning this summer? No problem! Whether you’re working part-time at the local ice cream parlor or babysitting, your summer job can be just as beneficial as an internship for preparing you for the real world. We talked to Mark Presnell, director of the Johns Hopkins University Career Center, for tips on how to make the most of your part-time job this summer.
1. Find transferable skills
No, your future career as a doctor won’t require you to scoop ice cream into customers’ cones. However, Presnell says that at your summer job, you can learn a lot from your co-workers and supervisors about multi-tasking and how to be detail-oriented and efficient—which will definitely translate to a “real world” job!
How to make it work for you: Be conscious of which skills from your part-time job you could bring to the table in your next internship. Your coffee-making barista skills can help you with the precision you’ll need as an engineer or pharmacist, for example. Working as a counselor for a summer camp is great practice if you want to teach or be in a leadership position. Shira, a junior at Franklin & Marshall College, says she learned a lot about organization and prioritization after being a camp counselor during the summer. “I was often in charge of large groups of children who all needed something different at the same time,” she says. “You really learn a lot of skills from being a camp counselor that are transferable to other jobs.” Whether you’re working as a cashier, waitress, or babysitter, you’ll undoubtedly learn something new you can use later down the road.
2. Hone your people skills
In most industries, you’ll be working with people, whether it’s dealing with customers, clients, or coworkers. Many part-time summer jobs require you to deal with people—use this to your advantage! Rachel, a collegiette at Hofstra University, found this out when she worked at a local amusement park one summer. “I learned a lot about communicating with other people, working with a team, and customer service,” she says.
Even negative experiences at your job can still help you learn the fine art of customer service, which Lindsay, an Emerson College collegiette, discovered. “I waitressed at Red Robin, and it was the absolute worst,” she says. “However, I learned a lot about dealing with people (both customers and coworkers), multi-tasking, working in a stressful environment, and, most importantly, how to fake-smile for 12 hours straight.”
How to make it work for you: Developing people skills is invaluable no matter what you end up doing later in life. When you’re working, watch people who have worked there longer than you and see how they deal with customers. Learn from their mistakes or copy them if they’re doing a good job. When in doubt, be patient and willing to help in whatever way you can. “In my job, I keep an open mind and try to do what I can to help out. When dealing with other people, you have to make sure they know you care,” says Vanessa, a junior at Johns Hopkins.
3. Get to know your supervisor
Your supervisor can be a great resource for helping you decide what you want to do later down the road. “If you are a student in a part-time summer job, begin building your network. Reach out [and] ask questions about what they do and why they like it,” Presnell says. “Ask for advice about your particular interests and career. People love to talk about what they do, and I think that you will find professionals very receptive to a conversation.”
Even if you’re not that interested in working in that field, remember that every connection counts. You never know who your boss knows—and if you’re a great employee, you could even request a reference from her at the end of your summer job! Your job might not be what you’re going to do for the rest of your life, but a reference saying you were a hard, enthusiastic worker can help you no matter who’s hiring.
How to make it work for you: Make sure your supervisor knows you by checking in periodically to see how you can improve at your job and giving her updates about your work as needed. This way, she’ll know you’re dependable, and, most importantly, that you really care about your work.
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4. Find out what you like (and don’t like) in a job
Maybe your job is repetitive and tedious. Maybe you hate dealing with customers. Whatever the issue, you can still gain a lot from a part-time job even if you don’t like it—like how businesses work. “[Ask yourself:] How do they make a profit? Market to their customers? Understanding these questions will allow you to uncover interests and gain knowledge into different career fields,” Presnell says. You may not love your part-time job, but having these kinds of jobs can not only teach you a lot about hard work, they can also help you decide what kind of career you want to pursue later.
How to make it work for you: Not loving your job so far? Keep in mind you won’t be there forever and focus on the positive, like the fact you’re learning valuable skills (and earning money!). Also, reflect on why you don’t love it. The answer could provide you insight into what kinds of jobs you might want to aim for in the future. For example, you might realize you don’t like your waitressing job because you have to be outgoing, and you’re really an introvert at heart—so a future job in sales probably wouldn’t work for you. Recognizing what you do and don’t like can help you make better career choices in the future.
5. Meet new people
Summer jobs are a great way to make new friends. Since you’re all working the same job, you have an instant way to bond or commiserate! Kathryne, a senior at SUNY Oswego, says she met people working at a carnival one summer that she wouldn’t have met otherwise. “The other workers were pretty different, but the more I talked to them, the more I got to like them and I also learned from their life stories,” she says.
How to make it work for you: Your co-workers might not be your typical crowd, but you can still make good connections and relationships through them. Be friendly and look for ways to bond, like starting a playful inside joke or helping a co-worker with a task. Look for ways to network, too—maybe your co-worker knows someone who works in the industry you’re hoping to break into after graduation. You never know what could come of a friendship!
6. Make money
Perhaps the biggest perk of a summer job is the most obvious one: money. Unlike your friends who are slaving away at an unpaid internship, you can save big if you work part-time all summer, which could help you afford an unpaid internship one day or give you extra money for big purchases after graduation, like a car or furniture for your apartment. Kate, a junior at Wellesley College, decided to work at a summer camp to save money so she can afford to work an unpaid internship in the future. “I don’t love the job itself, but I know that this was the best thing I could do in order to do the things I really want later,” she says.
How to make it work for you: If you want to save your money, start a budget and be conscious of how much you’re spending. “I have a notebook where I write down what I’m earning and spending,” says Vanessa, a junior at Johns Hopkins. “I definitely want to save as much as possible so I can have spending money for the school year.” Set aside a portion of each paycheck to go towards your future internship or post-grad funds and make sure you don’t touch it until then.
Regardless of what you’re doing this summer, you’ll inevitably learn new skills—or at the very least, have a great story to tell by the end of it! How are you making the most out of your part-time job? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo Credits:
Camp Counselor
Customer Service
Frustrated Girl
Making Money