Frustrated that college-going son can't find a summer job

[Mycroft]

He could register with a temp agency and see what happens. You never know what experiences might pop up.

[busdriver11]

Miller, it may not be too late, the YMCA may still be hiring. This might be close to you, or maybe there's other YMCA camps nearby. He'll have to get his CPR/First Aid rating, I'd assume (one day of training). Pay is not great, but they ALWAYS need more guys to do this. My son doesn't work at this one, but he's done it every year for several years, or some semblance of it, for free. This is the first year he'll get paid, so it's just a bonus. He LOVES it. They are also letting him leave early for college.

Join the dynamic team at the
YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh

Currently Seeking
Cabin Counselors

YMCA Camp T. Frank Soles, located in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania offers 263 acres, an 18 acre lake, and additional facilities. With an 80 year history, Camp Soles is the newest resident camp of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. We are looking for camp staff with leadership experience and a passion to positively impact the lives of children and families. We are looking for applicants that are flexible, safety oriented, mission driven, kid-friendly, approachable, and a love for fun and laughter!

Having great counselors is a vital part to the success of any camp! YMCA Camp Soles is looking for passionate staff to join us for a great 2012 summer! Our counselors have an opportunity to work in a variety of aspects of camp. Counselors can build a well-rounded summer experience and have to chance to try their hand at day camp, resident camp, and family camp. We have openings in the following positions: General Cabin Counselor, Lifeguard Cabin Counselor, Arts and Crafts Counselor, High Adventure Counselor, and Head Lifeguard. Our summer season begins in mid-June and runs through late August. Pre and Post Season work is also available.


To see the full job description:
Send Job Description Request to: campsoles@ymcapgh.org.

SALARY: $175-$190/week

SEND RESUMES TO: campsoles@ymcapgh.org

Deadline to apply: Until Filled

[ordinarylives]

Just a word about life guarding. In January, the Red Cross changed the way certificatiin classes are managed. Everything is coordinated through the national office and the cost has almost tripled. Depending on the hourly wage, hours per week, length of employment, it may not be such a great deal.

In my community, the city also overstaffed it's pools. What was a full time job for D1 last year is not this year.

[Miller514]

Thank you all for your replies. It helps calm my anxiety some over the issue.

Busdriver, that YMCA job sounds like a good deal, however, we live an hour from Pittsburgh in Ohio and the beautiful Laurel Highlands are two hours away.

That is one of the problems, living here among small towns along the Ohio River, the local economy isn't great, it's somewhat depressed. There are jobs to be had 50 minutes away in Pittsburgh's Robinson Township Mall, but it's hard to imagine that it's worth the gas money to get a part-time or even full time minimum wage job that far away.

He's put his resume in to ManPower and Kelly Services (temp agencies), but has heard nothing. He continues to fill out applications. He does go in person to apply for jobs. Often, he is told by the manager that he has to fill out an on-line ap, which he does. He's followed up on the places he's been to. As a mom, I continue to tell him not to get discouraged, but I think to myself, gosh, am I just continually sending him out into the lion's den?

He definitely wants an internship, he's studying business at school and applied for numerous internships, however, it seems most places want only junior or senior college students and not sophomores.

[footballmom104]

The temp services are a good idea. S1 struggled to find a job last summer because he got started too late. He ended up being eligible for the state summer youth employment program because I was unemployed at the time. This year both Ss started early - S2 got certified at a lifeguard and is getting all the hours he can handle with our city parks and recreation department. S1 was hired as a bagger at Kroger and is working pretty much full time. He applied a while back and was able to get a boost from an aquaintance who's in management. The best thing is, they can both walk to work, although sometimes S2 is assigned to a different pool and we have to drive him.

[OhioMom3000]

Volunteer work is fine on a resume, especially when unable to find work or an internship. Actually, when I graduated from college in 1983, a very difficult year for graduates, we were advised to find volunteer work. One woman volunteered with an Advertising Agency coordinating the United Way campaign for the company. She got her foot in the door and was told there would be a place for her when she graduated.

[bajamm]

Volunteering should definitely be on a resume, as long as there is room for it. My paid employment record is kind of spotty. My H became unemplyed two years ago and I needed to job hunt without having worked for several years. I had no idea what to put as references or experience on a resume/application.

A supervisor at a place I volunteered on a regular basis told me I should put her down as a reference and my volunteer job as experience. It was less than a month before I was offered a full time job, which I still have now.

[colorado_mom]

My son spent last summer home, unemployed. He did some useful educational things, but lol they cost us more money. This year I had to reluctantly agree that research on campus 2000 miles away from home made sense.

[ECmotherx2]

Have your son contact the career center at his university. They may be able to use him in the admissions office over the summer. Also, contact the chair of the department that his major is in. They may know of a professor that needs some help on a research project. This may not be salaried but it will carry a great deal of weight for grad schools and will teach him how to network. Best of luck!

[busdriver11]

"Busdriver, that YMCA job sounds like a good deal, however, we live an hour from Pittsburgh in Ohio and the beautiful Laurel Highlands are two hours away."

I understand, but realize that the job is for several weeks of the summer, room and board included. They get one day off a week to go home if they want to. It really doesn't matter if it's a couple of hours a way, seeing as they are there for the entire time anyways, not going there daily. The dealbreaker is if it's a job they want to do. Low pay (because it includes room and board), plenty of dealing with kids, gone most of the summer....but the kids that typically enjoy camp, enjoy this. Definitely not for most people, but some do love it.

[mom2collegekids]

It sounds to me that your son IS WORKING. Since when is doing chores (with or without pay) not work???

[MD Mom]

How about Cedar Point? I thought that it offered housing too.

My daughter has also had trouble finding summer work. She is in Pittsburgh, taking a class, and working in an unpaid internship.

[scmom12]

Read article in paper today stating that teen jobless rate was at something like 70%...highest since 2000 and that many teens who count on full time summer jobs to pay for school were hurt and were other kids who really need it financially (low income, minority). Kids with parents with work connections most likely to find jobs. Most of my Ds' friends who want to work have found something, but they probably fall into that category.

[Debruns]

Same at my house with one of my daughters....she's done the endless internet applications, followed up with calls, done the ice cream/yogurt places, etc, stores, camps,etc. Either they are full, get "friends of workers" or don't want to train someone for 2 months. Her friends are also jobless although one is taking a job at his college in MA..a hot summer for him on campus doing lawns, etc, but he needs the money and can't go another summer without pay.
My D did volunteer work for experience last year while doing childcare part time, but although some employers count volunteering, some only want jobs that you actually got paid on your application.
I went through that prejudice many years ago, although I worked just as hard and never missed a day. They said that you didn't have to go to work and recs are usually kinder to volunteers. I did find some that valued the work ethic though and got glowing recs about my dedication to the job and one manager said, if I worked that well unpaid, he had not doubt, it would be the same with.
All you can do is keep trying..I know the Internet is more efficient but my son found his first summer job walking in a store while the manager was short-handed and he told him to just come in tomororow. : ) There is something about asking in person, if you can do it, helps.

[mom2collegekids]

The drop in teen employment, steeper than for other age groups, is partly a cultural shift. More youths are spending summer months in school, at music or learning camps or in other activities geared for college



That figure is somewhat misleading. The rate should reflect only those who are looking for a job, not all teens.