<p>My daughter is a college freshman and I am looking for ideas of what she can do this summer. During HS, she was a volunteer camp counselor at a summer history camp. This year her summer will be 4 months long and she needs to fill that time up. She could do one summer session at her school but that would still leave quite a lot of time to fill. She is not an outdoor lover, does not want to travel to some exotic country, and something like habitat does not appeal to her. Has anybody's kids had luck finding summer internships after freshman year? (most I saw on-line required two years of college.) Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>How about just a plain old-fashioned job?</p>
<p>If she were my daughter, I’d make her work. I would have her spend her Spring break looking and applying for summer jobs. Seeing how she’s not my daughter, it’s up to you to set your own expectations for her. :)</p>
<p>I think traditional summer jobs are usually the best option. The summer camp experience may mean she could get a real camp counselor job. Or she could do the traditional stuff - scooping ice cream, working in fast food etc. You might not be thrilled, but she should also look for opportunities on campus. Last summer my son worked at Tufts - the provided housing at no or very low cost and one meal a day so he did end up earning money. He really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>If she’s interested in applying for camp jobs, she (or you) should be researching them right now. They fill up early.</p>
<p>What is her potential major? She can pop by the Career Center at her campus, and ask about summer jobs and internships related to her major.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d recommend a paying job over a non-paying internship. She needs experience earning money, getting to work on time, doing stuff for the boss/customers even when she doesn’t feel like it, etc. so that she knows more about what she wants to do once she finishes college.</p>
<p>I have no problem with her getting a job (and was under the impression that internships would be paying jobs - guess I was wrong). I was just thinking that an office job (vs. a summer job at a local retail place) would give her an idea of what that is like. She is currently undeclared.</p>
<p>Working a crappy summer job is a good thing. First, it reinforces why they are in college, second, future employers like to see that they were willing to work at crappy summer jobs :D. Paid internships are very hard to find for kids that age. She may be undeclared but what is she thinking about majoring in or what are her future plans for a real job? If she can get something sort of related to that, it would be helpful down the road. Say she wants to go to medical school, working in a hospital in the food service or cleaning rooms will get her good connections down the road for shadowing a dr, etc.</p>
<p>Summer jobs can be difficult to find, especially if you are away at school during the period when people apply for them.</p>
<p>Retailers and restaurants often prefer students who commute to nearby colleges (or high schools) over those who go away to school because they can work year-round (although perhaps fewer hours during the school year than in the summer).</p>
<p>Often, the best summer job opportunities are with businesses or organizations that function only in the summer. That’s why I mentioned camp jobs.</p>
<p>I don’t know about that. Retailers love college students around here. They can work during their busy times, summer and Christmas and they don’t have to worry about finding them hours during the slow winter months. Maybe it’s different in warmer climates though. With the regular employees wanting more time off in the summers, college kids fill in the gaps. Most kids I know work 2 or 3 different places to get 40-50 hours/week though. </p>
<p>If she can swim, getting certified as a lifeguard is always a good thing. Most places have a hard time finding lifeguards and many colleges have openings as well.</p>
<p>I second (or third) the summer camp and lifeguard idea. My D volunteers with a youth program and they scramble every summer to fill the paid positions with experienced people. There are summer camps beyond the expensive residential type-a lot of community centers, Boys and Girls club type organizations and religious groups run day camps as well. Your D will likely need a First Aid card and in some states, a food handler’s permit (free class in WA). </p>
<p>The lifeguard jobs pay pretty well, even in city pools and they are ALWAYS looking for kids trained as lifeguards. My older D was on the swim team in HS and the pool the kids trained at practically begged the girls to get certified so they could hire them for the summer. </p>
<p>A plain old job is never a bad thing either. Restaurants have a lot of turnover and they’re always looking for runners, servers and hosts. Have your D check with some of the popular family chains. D has worked for both small single-owner diners and a major chain-there are always openings at both types.</p>