<p>Alright, so I wanna see if I'm actually THE only one stupid enough to do something like this. So I got done with freshman year of college, and I had a great chance to take 2-3 summer courses on-campus and move on with my degree. But after some long thought, I decided not to take summer classes and instead look for some easy retail summer jobs at home (because I've never ever worked before and it just felt really out-of-this-world to be 18 and say that I have never had a job - I mean I pretty much NEED some work experience for my resume, don't I?). And heck, I've got four glorious years of college. This is a great time to get three months of SOME KIND of "work experience".</p>
<p>So a couple months before finals, I apply to around 15-20 retail stores in my city (at home). Guess what? NONE of them were hiring, my city was actually ranked in the top 10 for highest unemployment rates (not telling you what it is). They'd rather hire 60-70 yr old stay-at-homes who actually NEED a job to make a living and who could actually use the health benefits and what-not. Long story, I could go on for hours about why I couldn't find a job over the summer.</p>
<p>Needless to say, I haven't accomplished a thing this summer. Worst of all, all of my closest friends are in their colleges doing summer courses (ALONG WITH A JOB, nice slap in the face, thank you pals) and I'm stuck at home doing nothing but watch TV and play video games all the time. Feels like a total waste of three and a half months where I could've done a LOT, had I decided to stay on-campus (where I maybe could've also found a job, thanks to all the student hirings).</p>
<p>I'd like to know: Am I the only one?
/endrant</p>
<p>You could have done volunteer work all that time, which is something you can put on your resume and what I did when I couldn’t find work last summer. This summer I took a class. My summer was still pretty much pointless. Summer classes are dumb.</p>
<p>I did. I applied to about 15-20 places too, and I actually almost got hired but I think they could sense my unenthusiasm since I just wanted something to do and never heard back.</p>
<p>Eh, I’ve been working at a grocery store… I get paid pretty well but I’m already wishing I could have gotten some 9-5 white collar internship. I don’t like working on weekends and I don’t like having a constantly shifting schedule.</p>
<p>To the OP: Sounds like you waited until the last minute and didn’t have a backup plan like taking the classes if you didn’t hear anything back from any retailers or vice versa.</p>
<p>I got a job, lost it. Was unemployed for three weeks, got a another job. A lot of my friends aren’t in school, so I always have people to chill with. I mean enjoy the down time and not doing anything. Going most nights and working is exhausting. School is work, too. None of my friends from pgh stayed at school (for the maybe 4 that go to school). Can you still register for summer classes? Our’s run on a 4/6/8 week rotation. In this economy it’s not a good idea to bank on a summer job. Sorry that your friends aren’t home for the summer, that’s ****ty. Working 10 hour days really sucks anyways. I’m more tired in the summer than at school. You made a mistake, but you learned from it. Luckily most of my friends are here during the summer.</p>
<p>I applied for 30+ jobs, didn’t hear from any. Probably my fault for not applying until April…</p>
<p>I do have some volunteer work I can do, but they only let you go a max of 4 hours a week, so its not really time consuming.</p>
<p>So I’m working for my dad. I get paid nicely, but thats not exactly something I can put on my resume (I mean, I kind of had a distinct advantage in getting the job, not sure if employers take working for your parent seriously)</p>
<p>That doesn’t devalue from the experience. A job doesn’t have to be competitive to be worthwhile =).</p>
<p>And no, I’ve never worked for my parents. No bias.</p>
<p>But anyways: I’m just taking 3 summer classes. This is basically pointless as far as career planning goes, but I’m very content. You can’t always live for tomorrow, because I’m pretty sure you eventually die.</p>
<p>Are you the only one? Yeah, pretty much. I am taking two summer courses, volunteering at a hospital and a nursing home, and I have done some temp work.</p>
<p>There is no excuse for sitting on your ass watching tv and playing videogames all day. And there is also no excuse to almost be in your second year in college with no work experience either. I’m 18, and I have volunteered, worked a couple of jobs since 17, (and moving up to be an Office Assistant as my third job), taken up summer courses consistently, written for my school’s newspaper, and more.</p>
<p>same here. but Ive been searching since march. I applied to so many different jobs and went on so many interview and not place hired me. So now Im just taking classes on my extended break at my community college and chillin’ (all just to train my mind and get some dedication that i would not have otherwise gotten at my home school). there’s nothing wrong with it. just use this time to relax and chill out. get into something, work out, plan your degree, get prepared for your next year’s classes. there’s plenty of things to do.</p>
<p>Ive had 3 different jobs in high school in a variety of areas all at once and had to quit all 3 when i left for school. even before I left I got offered a decent paying position at a great place but had to turn it down</p>
<p>There is never an excuse to give up. There are always jobs out there, sure they might be much less desirable, but you need to suck it up cause life is not fair. The least you could do is do something productive like study for courses you will take later. There is no excuse economy or not.</p>
<p>If I didn’t have to work, I wouldn’t. Plenty of kids from my HS never needed to work, and plenty of kids at my school never had a real job and don’t work while in school. If your parents pay for everything why work? It sucks working 45+ hrs a week doing menial tasks. I wish I never had to work.</p>
<p>AxeBack - You’re not alone. In fact I think most people enjoy doing nothing! But I’m totally with ya - I’ve applied to at least 50 jobs and I’ve only heard back from the “marketing internships” aka door to door sales. I’ve established a job but they had to cut down my hrs and thus I’m currently unemployed right now. My major requires that I only get an internship my senior yr so I’m pretty much left with absolutely nothing to do. :(</p>
<p>Er- I enjoy doing nothing. But then again I needed some serious months of downtime in order to get my health back. </p>
<p>So I’ve been laying out on the beach or boogie-boarding most days, setting up a reef tank to take back with me, playing video games, watching movies with my family, getting back into shape with DDR and weights.
It’s been really nice.</p>
<p>Not applying till April? I picked up my summer job at the beginning of June and its a restaurant job. I already had a job but I wasn’t getting any hours there.</p>
<p>Mine pretty much was, but that’s my fault for putting no real effort into getting something done. I only applied to two jobs: got an interview for one, but I wasn’t hired. Things would have been better if I had a car; I could have volunteered and gone out. I can’t wait until I go back to my dorm on the 8th, because I am bored out of my mind.</p>
<p>i started applying in january and stupidly turned down 2 interviews in february and march because i thought I had a sure thing that was better. that fell through and I never got another interview. applied to about 35 jobs.</p>
<p>Lol some people misinterpreted what I wrote. I’m not saying I hate idling around and doing nothing and obsessing over the simpler things in life (which I’ve been doing so far). I’m perfectly fine with the way this is right now, and yes, I don’t “have” to work. My parents are indeed paying and I’ll be fine.
All I’m saying is I’m 18 with no work experience (never needed to work, definitely would have if I had to) and I find that abnormal, seeing how pretty much everyone else has something to put on their resume. AND being peer-pressured by my friends is lame, they’re all taking summer courses along with jobs, and I’m not.</p>
<p>Not taking summer courses is surely something I’m regretting, atleast now I know next summer won’t be a waste.</p>
<p>And I’m glad to see I’m not the only one not-working-because-I-don’t-have-to. Some helpful replies, thanks guys!</p>
<p>I think I had a pretty productive summer so far but it could have been better. First of all I got my license which gives me lots of freedom to do lots of things. Then I took the chspe so I can start college early and I recently got the passing results. Ialso took a summer class at my community college which was pretty ey and I am going to a camp for 4 days. Also I am only 16 which makes these little things significant.</p>