I am an 11th grader who is looking to find a summer job for the coming summer. I would like to work at a restaurant or a retail store in the mall near our house. With that being said, I have some lingering concerns: many of my top performing peers seem to work as tutors or at learning centers, and I fear that to AOs literally or figuratively ‘flipping burgers’ may seem inferior to tutoring or an occupation of that kind. Is this true? Should I fret about it?
Oh jeez. No, having a job like regular teenagers doesn’t make you look bad on your college application. Retail, fast food, they are all good.
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I just watched a Zoom interview with a college admission rep from Pomona College - he said some of his favorite application essays are about student jobs in the service industry.
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Thanks for the response! I am really looking forward to working in whatever place I can find myself working for. I want to experience a paid job not only as an extracurricular but also because of the perks (first hand experience working blue-collar, experience in personal finance, time management skills, social/communication skills) and also because I simply want to make as much as I can out of my years as a teenager, whether it be the perks, the memories, the $$, etc.
My highschool job was at Auntie Annes in the mall. I worked there for 3 years and was a manager for my last 2 years. Everyone should work in fast food/ service industry at least once in their life. It’s an experience that will help you grow.
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Thanks for the response! I will hopefully start working @ fast food starting this summer
PS: Does Auntie Anne’s hire those without job experience?
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Yes, they do, as it was my first job. My volunteer history and intern experience got me in the door.
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I agree! In addition to helping you grow, it teaches you how to treat those who wait on you!
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One possible pitfall - do you think it would be detrimental to write my essay on it while having mentioned it on the activities section already?