With school coming to an end, students are preparing to focus more on a different type of work. Summer is full of free time, and in order to make money, students utilize the time with a fun job. Whether you are a rising junior or a graduate, it is never too early to start saving money.

The first step in getting a job is understanding what you can get out of it, besides earning money. Counselor Sarah Joyner helped explain the importance of jobs.

“Employers right now want to see work experience from students,” said Joyner. “It doesn’t have to be something that corresponds with your future career. It will give you soft skills, which are just skills that are learned while being on the job. Employers care more about your past work experience than they do your grades in college.”

While money is not the most important thing to get out of a job, it is the thing people want most. Money is not all about spending, which is hard not to do. Students should begin to save money for college as soon as possible.

“Once you get to college, even if your parents are planning on helping you out or giving you a budget, you don’t realize (until you’re there) all the things you need or are used to having at home,” said Joyner. “You’re going to want to spend more on social things that you didn’t do when you were in high school. Even if that just means eating somewhere other than the cafeteria, it’s the little things like that.”

Being able to enjoy your job makes it easier to do. There are many different summer jobs available, and each person is fit for a different job.

Lifeguarding

If you enjoy sitting out in the sun all day, this job is for you. However, lifeguarding isn’t just about catching up on your tan. You are responsible for people’s lives; you must be very attentive and know how to react quickly in hectic situations. There is a certification that must be achieved through a lifeguarding class before becoming a lifeguard. By the end of the summer, you’ll be tan and CPR certified–just don’t forget your sunscreen!

Retail

If you enjoy interacting with people, a job in retail would be a good fit. You must be able to interact with customers. Working in retail will build your communication skills, and you may even learn how to use different types of softwares, depending on the store’s system. If you can learn how to refrain from impulse buying and save money, you’ll have a good bit saved by the end of the summer!

Babysitting

While not everyone enjoys being with kids, babysitting can be a good summer job for those who do. Babysitters and nannies are in high demand over the summer since most kids are out of school. Believe it or not, just hanging out with children during work hours in the day can leave you with a higher paycheck than most other jobs. You may need to know some basic skills like cooking or changing diapers, but these skills can help you in the future. Plus, who wouldn’t want to get paid for playing tag?

Restaurants

Working in restaurants is a very popular job for high school students. If you are a waiter or waitress, you must be able to handle different sorts of people, especially hungry people. The better server you are, the higher of a tip you will get. Unlike other jobs, how you treat your customers can determine your paycheck. If you are a hostess, you must be able to handle hungry people being forced to wait to eat– scary, right? This will teach you to be patient with people as well. If you are a busboy, you will just need to be able to clean things up. Hopefully, you can avoid touching someone’s half eaten cheeseburger.

These are just a few of the options students have for summer jobs. The important part is, you will gain experience and hopefully have money saved up at the end of the summer, or enough to spend throughout the summer.  
“You learn a lot no matter where you are,” said Joyner. “Whether it is a pool, a restaurant, or a retail shop, you are going to learn about how to deal with customers, how to interact with other coworkers, and you might even learn how to use a fax machine. Just little things, that might not seem that important, but show that you have work experience is what future employers want to see.”