Did you ever have a summer job?

[Deleted]

It's that season again, kids are looking to make a few extra bucks with a summer job. Looking back, do you remember having a summer job or jobs? What kind where they? how much did they pay? What did you learn from them? Did they in some way make you think and act differently by the end of the summer? What kind of impression did they leave on you? Did they change you at all in any way?

I remember having only two summer jobs, one was strawberry picking and the other was baby sitting. The first one was just plan fun and a time to hang out with my friends and have a laugh. And the second one made me realize just how hard it is to take care of kids! It was almost enough to put me off having any of my own forever (almost).

The reason I bring this up is because of the summer job that my son has this year, and actually has had for the last few years since he has been at University. His work is so much more challenging them mine ever was, I do wonder how it has changed him, for changed him it has.

He works at a summer camp, with disabled children. And depending on the week, kids that have either physical or mental disabilities. Other weeks the camp will cater for youngsters who have or are recovering from cancer and yet another week children who suffer from diabetes. This year he has the senior position, so a lot more responsibility then ever before. But he takes it all in his stride and is doing really well.

I have noticed that this job has changed this big guy from being a hard headed, devil may care individual to a more caring, thoughtful, sensitive soul. I guess it would be hard not to change doing such a job.

Anyway, would really like to hear what kind of summer jobs you had while at school, college or University. And looking back, the kind of impression they have left on you.

[Deleted]

I was lucky enough never to have a summer job until I started going to university. There, I was the night attendant at the campus billiard hall (8pm-midnight) for a few months, but my main job was at the university bookstore for a couple of years, and that was quite interesting until suddenly it wasn't anymore.

Then I didn't work again until it was time for real life.

[mich64]

This should be an interesting topic to read Deyana, good choice.

Being a girl, I think many of us started with babysitting. My brother would cut lawns for a business or homeowners in summer and shovel driveways in winter.

When I was 14, I babysat for the summer for our neighbours, being from a famiy of 5 children, I was used to the pace and needs.

At the end of the 11th grade, I got a job at the Mall where I put transfers onto shirts or letters to spell out whatever they wanted me too. I remember being nervous that I would not evenly space letters. I kept this job until I finished College.

Cheers,
Mich

[rikita]

not many summer jobs - i did take over a friend's newspaper route once for a week or two when she was on vacation, and i did teach at an english-camp for kids for two weeks in the summer before my last year of school (was already nineteen then, but it was fun to be one of the teachers and thus allowed to drink vodka with the other teachers until late at night, and sleep in while one of the teachers made the kids run in the forest every morning to wake them up).

had various all-year jobs though, mainly babysitting for a while, which was more a sporadic thing, in families my parents were friends with, usually in the evening... and teaching english to kindergarden-kids twice per week during my last two years of school..

else, my jobs during university don't really count as summer jobs i'd say because here it is just normal for students to earn at least part of their own living, while i see a summer job more as something to get a little extra money...

[Deleted]

Oh and how could I forget, I worked in a mall as a cashier. I guess I didn't count this one in because it was something I did all year round; (after school, weekends as well as holidays). I did this for the last two years of High school and one year of college. This came after I had finished my stint as strawberry picking (I was useless at it), same went for babysitting back then.

Sounds like you got off easy, Kerouac! At least you didn't have to dig ditches for plant trees, or collect garbage, or work in saw mills, or do farm work, (as some guys do around here in the summer hols). I've heard that after being stuck in books all through the school year, it makes a welcome change.

Before my son started work at the camp, he worked at a local nursing home for the last two summers of high school (he was always very talented with the sciences - chemistry, math, biology, calculus, physics etc), so it worked out fine working with a bunch of nurses.

mich, so true, so many of us start with babysitting. My cousin baby sat all the way through University and some of high school too. But later on she decided that she really didn't want to have kids, and has never changed her mind.

Riky, you are right, that really, summer jobs can be more than just earning a few extra dollars. For many it's about earning enough to get them through the coming year of school. There are some students who have rich parents and so pay nada for anything, and you can always pick these ones out quite easily. Because they haven't had to earn it, they care little about it or how they spend it, (or waste it I should say).

[bjd]

I never had babysitting jobs. When I was in high school, I worked about 6 hours a week at the public library, mostly putting away books, checking them out, etc. The summer I was 16, I worked in a factory, packing car gaskets in plastic bags alongside women for whom it was a permanent job. I was very glad to get back to school after that.

When I was at university, I worked in an office during the summer holidays, and also during some Christmas holidays. And after I had come to study in France, I returned to Canada one summer and the only job I could find was as a cleaning lady. The woman who had hired me was quite surprised when I quit to return to France.

[Deleted]

So interesting, bjd! It's amazing what we do to get by when we have to. Are you originally from France?

[bjd]

No Deyana. I was born in England, but moved to Canada at age 7. Left at 25.

[hwinpp]

Yep, that's a bit of a surprise for me.

I always took you for French.

[bjd]

Nope, I'm a rootless cosmopolitan.

[Deleted]

It seems like you've been just about everywhere, bjd! You must be fluent in French? It sounds like you've had quite an interesting life.