Not sure what you want to do this summer to make money? Whether you want an easy job, you will be too busy adventuring to keep a job or will forget to find a job till halfway through summer, here are four solid ways to make money this summer.
“I like tanning and not working too hard” – Become a Pool Lifeguard
Being a lifeguard is a classic summer job for college students because of the ease of getting a lifeguard job, the typically low-stress work environment and the ability to work outside. Who doesn’t want to make money soaking up the sun, yelling at annoying kids and hanging out with your friends? While each establishment can vary, for lifeguards there are a few things you can count on: a lot of hours to think, a lot of hours to tan and a lot of hours to work.
“I liked working as a lifeguard over the summer because everyone at my pool became good friends with each other. We were able to mess around and have fun but still do our jobs and keep everyone safe,” Natalie Crozier, a CMU student who has worked three summers at an outdoor pool, said.
If you are interested in a position as a lifeguard, you are in luck. Through local parks and recreation facilities, neighborhood pools and water parks, finding a lifeguarding job is not very difficult. Additionally, some jobs, particularly retail jobs, will avoid hiring people who can only work the summer, this is not a problem as a lifeguard, which is by definition, a seasonal job. However, you will most likely have to commit for the whole summer and it may be difficult to find time off for long trips.
However, there are two major concerns to this job: First, you will need to be at least CPR/AED certified and for most positions you will also need to be Lifeguard certified, a course that can take a week at times and is not usually paid for by the employer. Second, you should be confident in the water as most pools will require lifeguards to pass a periodic swim test and in-service.
You may not make a significant amount of money as a pool lifeguard, about minimum wage, but you are guaranteed a lazier job than manual labor, more time outside than waiting tables and a lot of time to bond with colleagues.
“I only want to work to pay for my adventures” – Work manual labor
If you need a flexible schedule, a lot of time off, and/or want to make a good amount of cash a manual labor job landscaping, painting, or moving may be a good job for you.
It is common for college students to go on trips over the summer, whether it is a weekend camping trip in Moab or a week-long road trip, but many employers won’t hire you if you will be gone for long periods of time. However, if you still want to earn money between semesters, a great way to do that is to work a manual labor job.
While not true of all jobs or employers, contractors will frequently hire extra hands to complete big jobs. The most common jobs you will be able to find are ones in landscaping, since it doesn’t take a lot of training to move stuff from one place to another, but you may be able to find jobs in home-improvement, like finishing basements.
“Some of the jobs are less specialized. If you are gone for a while, you can easily pick them back up when you get back,” Austin Zuehlke, who works sporadically building houses, said.
If you want to find short-term manual labor jobs you won’t find them on Monster.com. The best way to get jobs on a sporadic basis is to contact small landscaping companies or contractors at the beginning of the summer, let them know you will be available as a good worker and an extra pair of hands and get on their “list” for when they need help. When they do need another worker, depending on the job, you can expect to make $20 or more an hour, probably in cash, which is a lot more than most temp jobs.
Working a manual labor job has a lot of great benefits including, the satisfaction of seeing your work manifested, being paid in cash (no taxes), and keeping you in shape. Therefore, if you plan on being gone for long periods of time during the summer but still want to make money a great way to do this is in manual labor.
“I want to develop my career”- Do an internship
Undeniably one of the best things you can do for your future career is to earn practical experience in your field and a great way for students to do this is through a summer internship. Whether you are studying environmental science or accounting, there are employers in every field offering internships.
In positions at companies and organizations, from the Parks Service to Hewlett-Packard, you can earn practical on the job experience, university credit hours, and maybe even some money. Sounds like a great deal, and it can be, but be wary.
Unless you want to go into a career of getting coffee, be selective and practice scrutiny when looking for internships. According to Grant Forward, a database for research and internship opportunities, when looking for an internship, try to focus on paid positions if possible and avoid unpaid internships unless you are sure they offer both outstanding experiences and have a reasonable hourly requirement. This is to avoid internships that could yield very little learning for the intern and are simply free-labor for companies.
Even if an internship is paid you probably won’t make more than minimum wage, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, as an intern, you can expect a set work schedule, usually between 30 and 40 hours per week. Employers will most likely work around your university schedule and summer classes if you take any, but it may be difficult to get time off if you hope to go on trips. Just remember that while it is nice to have the summer to relax from school and learning, gaining experience for your career is an excellent investment.
“It’s already June but I still need a job” – Wait tables
We have all been there, sometimes you need to push things back because a big project came up, like watching the entire Friends series through again. So, this summer, if you find yourself having played through six of the Halo games, but not earning a dime of tuition money, then a good job for you is waiting tables.
Not only are there plenty of restaurants who need workers, but you can earn a reasonable amount of money through salary and tips. Many restaurants will also be able to offer you a flexible schedule, as many hours as you want and not to mention some free food.
It may be basic, and it may involve dealing with difficult customers, but there is a reason waiting tables is a staple of college student jobs.
Whatever job you choose to do this summer, remember that if you need money the best way to make it is to not spend it, but when you do spend it only on what you truly need and truly love. Will Rogers said “too many people spend money they earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people that they don’t like.” If you are going to spend money, spend it on something worth it, like tuition or making a favorite school newspaper writer happy.
