I'm sure we have all had a summer job before or have at least seen a movie that included a character with a summer job. Movies and books may have portrayed a summer job as something fun and spectacular but is it all it's cracked up to be? But I would have to say that would be a negative.
Going into my summer job this year, I was thinking "YES! This is going to be a great summer." I was told that I would have a 3-day weekend every week, who could even argue with that? The answer should be no one. I was thinking that I would go home on the weekends, go out and party all night long or just stay awake binge watching Netflix till the sun would rise. But so far all I want to do is go home and cuddle with my kittens instead of seeing people, because my kittens are my babies.
When it comes time to looking for your summer job, or accepting that AMAZING summer job offer, make sure that you actually outweigh the possible pro's and con's of the job.
1. Salary
How are you going to be paid should be number one on the list when considering a summer job. Are you going to be paid by the hour or by the day? How are you going to be paid, in cash or a check?
2. Schedule
Are you going to be working the same days and times every shift? Or are you going to have to be flexible? Let's be real it is summer time. We want to be able to play just as hard as we're working. Or maybe you're involved in a few extra summer credits to get ahead of the game with your degree. Or there might be the case where you're a work-a-holic and just wanted a summer job to earn some extra money on top or your primary job. No matter what the situation, you want to make sure that the hours you are set to work are very clear and consist with your boss. You don't want to miss something important due to a lack of communication.
3. Duration
Is this going to be an all summer gig or just a couple of weeks?
For instance, one summer job I had in the past I worked 5 days a week the entire summer, but when we began the autumn season I still worked on the weekends until the farmstead closed down. Weekdays were slow enough where the owners could handle it.
4. Responsibilities
What is your boss going to expect to be responsible for? Are these responsibilities that you think you can handle? Is your wage compensating you enough for your responsibilities?
5.Desirable
Lastly, is your job desirable? Is this a job that you're going to wake up and want to go do or are you going to dread going to work every day? If you don't think that it's the job for you, then you probably shouldn't take the job.
You may be stuck at work instead of going to the beach (unless you're a lifeguard), but once you're out of work for the day, you can do whatever you want. Stay up all night. Enjoy the night and the warm summer air. Just don't forget to wake up for work in the morning. And you may never get the opportunity to have another summer job like this again, so take it while you can and enjoy every second of it.