Student Perspective: The Hunt for a Summer Job

While school may be out for the summer, the work is far from over for Lakeland students. Whether it is for college savings, car money, extra pocket change, or by parental mandate, more and more teenagers are on the hunt for summer jobs. This, however, has become a complicated task.

Each year, it seems that finding part-time work for students has gotten progressively harder. Sean Meyering, a soon to be senior at Lakeland, is struggling to find a job for the summer, he said.

"It's really frustrating because I've applied to so many places but nothing's coming up," Meyering said. "I spent three straight weekends driving between Peekskill and Yorktown and I applied to at least 15 places. I just don't know what else to do."

Lakeland High School student Jon Weinerman experienced the same challenge of searching for a summer job last year.

"It felt like I went to every store within 10 miles of my house and no one was hiring," Weinerman said.

He said he had applied to more than ten places.

"I lost count after a while," he admitted.

Much of the student struggle for seasonal work stems from the crippling recession that has crushed the country. Weinerman speculated the stock market crash in particular drastically affected part-time job opportunities.

"The market crashing had so many businesses pinching their pennies and cutting hours," he said. "If you weren't willing to work full-time at minimum wage, most places wouldn't even consider you."

After months of filling out applications, calling potential employers, and waiting, Weinerman finally found a part-time job as a grocery clerk.

"Having a car and a license was so key," he said. "It let me apply to even more places and it makes you look that much more responsible and dependable."

Meyering, who has his junior driver'sicense, said his ability to get a car hinges on his chances of getting a job.

"My mom says I can't get a car until I get a job, so I'm not sure what to tell the employers when it comes to hours or availability," he said.

An applicant should try to take advantage of all possible connections they may have to an employer. For example, most summer camps in the area hire former campers.

"It never hurts to have someone put in a good word for you," Weinerman advised. "A longtime friend of mine handed my application in with me so he could help me get the job."

Additionally, applying for a year round part-time job could lead to greater success of employment than applying for seasonal work only.

Finally, persistence and patience are the keys to success when it comes to finding a part-time job.

"You'll have to keep calling and filling out applications if you want to get hired," Weinerman said.

The hunt for summer jobs has become a long and arduous process that often yields no results for high school students. With the cost of college rapidly rising and the U.S. economy slowly recovering, students find themselves in need of extra money now more than ever.