Career News 24/7: The Cynical Girl: Summer Jobs for Millennials

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Cynical Girl: Summer Jobs for Millennials

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:45 AM PDT

Lots of questions about summer internships and jobs.

How do I find one? How do I get hired? How do I make some cash?

Listen, I have no idea how to score an internship or a summer job this late in the game. The economy sucks. Most positions are filled. You might be screwed. Go talk to to someone who knows a thing or two about this situation (like Jodi or Alison or Alexandra).

But know this: during in the worst economy in decades and in a state with the highest unemployment, my youngest brother walked into a hardware store and got a job. And I know kids who were hired because they asked a small business owner for an opportunity to work. They came prepared to be interviewed on the spot and said things like I WILL SHOW UP DAILY and I WORK HARD and looked those small business owners in the eye and offered firm handshakes, resumes, and a list of references.

And I know young men and women have downsized their expectations about summer work and they leave their resumes at retail shops, coffee houses, temp agencies — and they follow up because they don’t expect a job. There are other young people in my life who volunteered their time with young children — at vacation bible school, summer school, shelters, cooling centers. Those experiences led them into summer jobs (and potential careers).

So I dunno. Getting a summer job is complicated, it is demoralizing, and it is a pain-in-the-butt. But it’s not impossible if you take it seriously, act professionally, and hustle.

And that advice applies to just about anything in life, by the way.