Summer Jobs And The Student Dilemma

[Jul 16, 2008.]

 

Recession worries still linger and as a result the economy is walking on egg shells. This can be bad news for students who are seeking summer employment.

Many employers have no plans for hiring summer employees which will be a devastating blow to teens and students who usually only work during the summer months. Even college students are going to feel the bite which can translate to huge losses.

Often times, students travel home for the summer to stay with family and work to save up for next semester’s financial obligations. With a lack of jobs for these students loans are expected to rise and while that may be just fine with institutions like Sallie Mae, students are a bit hesitant about it. Many prefer to use loans as a last resort understanding that unlike grants and scholarships, loans have to be paid back and can get costly.

The time to look for a summer job, experts say, is before school lets out. While this will certainly not guarantee a job it will give teens and students a head start.  College students will have the added advantage over teens as they are seen as more responsible. However, employers in general lack the budget for additional summer time employees or prefer to hire adults who will not be going back to school once the summer is over.

Students and teens needing a job should be diligent and understand that in such an economy employers are not always going to be eager to hire them.

Traditional summer jobs include retail and the food industry which has seen significant losses in profit over the last year. As a result there have been cut backs in employment. Students who need to save money for the fall semester might be the hardest hit and should make strides to find a job or prepare to find some loans