Summer employment beneficial for future goals

Making summer plans can be a breeze: shopping, relaxing, sleeping, swimming, vacationing, sleeping, surfing, barbecuing, sunbathing, and did I mention sleeping?

Before you hit the snooze button on your brain just yet, lining up a summer job would be a smart move; with prices on the rise, you might need a bigger budget for summer break. Thankfully, it's that time of year when opportunities to make extra money are in season.

Some students will be spending the summer working at Stephens. Emily Ricketts, a junior interior design major, will work 20 hours per week in exchange for summer board. Although she doesn't know the details as to where she will be working yet, this arrangement has allowed her the flexibility to apply for a second summer job in Columbia as well as time to take an online class toward completing her major.

Finding work in an area of interest can make working seem less like a job and more like a hobby.

If you have an interest in golf, working as a golf caddy could be the job for you. Listed at the top of Forbes' 2011 list of best-paying summer jobs, a caddy can earn $50 to $100 for every 4.5 hours of carrying a golf bag, keeping the course tidy, and cleaning golf balls.

Other summer jobs that made Forbes' list of best-paying jobs included store merchandisers, pharmacy assistants, housekeepers, lifeguards and waitresses.

These job opportunities hire students with little or no experience, and most provide on-the-job training to help you acquire any necessary skills.

Last summer, "the youth (age 16 to 24) unemployment rate edged up over the year to 19.1 percent in July 2010, the highest July rate on record for the series, which began in 1948," according to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

If you struggle to find a job, becoming an entrepreneur this summer might be your answer.

A Texas teenager who started a car washing business at the age of 14 made nearly $4,000 in three summers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Keeping that in mind, starting your own summer service has the potential to be profitable. Babysitting and pet sitting, both jobs you can do on your own, ranked second and third, respectively, on the Forbes list. Average earnings for these jobs range from $10 to $15 per hour, according to Forbes.

A benefit to working a job this summer, besides the obvious monetary gain, is gaining professional experience and adding on to your resume.

"If you are looking for a summer job or internship opportunity to gain skills to build your resume, I encourage you to take a look at Optimal Resume for opportunities," stated Amanda Roberts, director of career development, in an email.

"We have over 200 internship positions posted throughout the United States and some international opportunities."

Listings in your local newspaper's classifieds can also help with finding a summer job or serve as a way to promote your own summer business. For additional help job or internship searching, go to Stephens.optimalresume.com.