The hunt for summer jobs

Written by Hayley Boyle, reporter

Junior Abby Andersen pulls up to the gas station in the car she shares with her sister. She opens her wallet and finds nothing. Expecting to top off her gas tank, she will have to wait. That babysitting money from last week just didn’t stretch far enough; it’s time to search for a job.

Teens look for summer jobs for many reasons like paying for a car, gas, going out with friends, food, and saving up for college and their futures. “It’s tough to find a job,” said the 17 year old Andersen, who has been looking for a few weeks. She has found that Petco and Petsmart are just a few of the places that don’t hire employee under 18.

“I would like to work at Hollister because then I would get an employee discount on their clothes,” said Andersen. She also applied to Five Below, McDonalds and numerous other places around town. Right now, anything that brings in the cash will do said Andersen “I’m tired of occasionally having to pay for gas in quarters.”

For example, sophomore Liz Kelly is a lifeguard at the Arena Club in Bel Air and said “I love it, it’s like a family.” In order to be a lifeguard she took a 30 hour class and had to be certified in first aid and CPR. Her secret was to apply in August when all the college kids left. That’s when there are a lot of openings. Kelly works year round and she said “It actually helps my school work; I study and do my homework there.”

Applying to many places is the best way to ensure a summer job. Seasonal places like Rita’s are very accommodating to teenagers” schedules. Being employed gives you something to do, extra cash, and a valuable job experience.

Hayley Boyle can be reached for comment at boylhay12@jcpatriot.org