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Students need a break from the stress of schoolwork, so the best summer jobs for college students would be those that generate income while providing some form of entertainment or catering to your interests. Look at summer job opportunities as a chance to beef up your resume with meaningful work experiences that reflect your abilities and demonstrate your passion for certain activities. Additionally, you will meet people who may turn out to be valuable references or who may provide job leads for your post-college career.
Beach or Pool Lifeguard
Enjoying the outdoors is part of the summer lifestyle. You can spend hours at the beach or your local swim facility in a paid position as a lifeguard. Note that this job may require meeting minimum credentials such as CPR certification, basic lifeguard training and passing agility and health tests.
If you like working with people directly especially the little ones, learn-to-swim programs are in high gear during the summer months. This position will require CPR certification, basic life support training, credentials as a water-safety instructor and knowledge of basic swimming techniques. If you are already part of your school’s swim team, you may also qualify as a summer swim coach for kids training for varsity teams.
Summer Camp Guides, Mentors and Counselors
Working with children as a camp counselor is a traditional summer job for college students. However, summer camps have become intensive summer workshops focused on specific subjects that are typically linked to the curriculum. If weaving friendship bracelets and exploring nature trails are not your kind of thing, look for summer camps at museums, schools and community centers that offer boot camp sessions for math, science, robotics, electronics and the arts.
These camps provide real world experience as a teacher or youth mentor, which could be helpful if you are looking at a career in education, child development or psychology. You may already have the specialized knowledge in one or more of these fields due to your college major, and working with young minds with similar interests as yours could provide greater insight into your chosen field.
Entrepreneurial Pursuits
Summer is one of the best times to try out your business ideas and test your mettle as an entrepreneur. Your business venture may be something as traditional as selling themed T-shirts at summer festivals or mowing lawns in the neighborhood. You can also take advantage of summer events to perform market-testing for non-traditional products or services. This summer opportunity may require some capital investment, business permits and other restrictions related to compliance with health and safety standards.
Summer Internships Related to your Major
Not all internships may be paid positions, so make sure you understand the guidelines before committing to a program. Some internship positions may provide per diem compensation while others offer above-market pay for a temporary position. Consider local businesses such as your hometown newspaper for journalism majors or law offices based in your area if you plan to pursue a career in politics or law. If you work locally for the summer, you can save on expenses by living at home and spend quality time with your family.
It may be tempting to spend your summer vacation sleeping in and playing video games, but if you can incorporate productive career a favor. The best summer jobs for college students leverage your existing competencies, puts them to test in real world situations and allows you to have fun in the process.
