My D attended an out-of-state college. In the summers she had a difficult time finding work, because of the abundance of workers who weren’t leaving the area. One summer she worked at a nursing home - they had such high turnover they didn’t care that she was only there for the summer. She also had good luck with office temp jobs. My S also attended an out-of-state college. He worked as a summer camp counselor one summer, another summer was at a warehouse that needed extra summer help. Some of his friends got minimum wage jobs in retail/fast food by not disclosing they would be leaving in a couple of months.
Admitted to Harvard, Rejected From Target would be a fun essay to write. If she took the right tone.
How about a summer job scooping ice cream somewhere? Those are seasonal.
I think one issue is that Target summer hires are mostly stocking shelves to be ready for Back to School and Back to College. I can understand why an employer might (wrongly) think that a H-bound student wouldn’t want that.
It’s her resume, so she can do what she wants. But, I’d leave it off.
That’s a question she should have asked: ‘are you seeking summer help, as I will be leaving town for college?’
She is perfectly entitled to put Harvard on her resume, but it would not surprise me if it’s holding her back. She does not need to have it on her resume as she seeks a seasonal job.
If there are any jobs around - if not minimum wage jobs but others like mowing lawns, pet sitting, house sitting, helping a neighbor clean out garage/attic/basement. Volunteer somewhere that could be career related. Find a friend in the same boat and go exercise together every day. Getting out with others may help.
My DD was working at trying to find a job the usual ways. For a few weeks, she applied at the usual places that advertised currently hiring (Target and Home Depot). They ask for previous job pay, so that I am sure hurt her (she made $15/hour in AK last summer). Neighbor owns a drink place (Smoothie King), so DD and I stopped in and brought her resume, and she got put on the schedule a week later (owners knew she was a good worker, and dependable) - all their employees are at minimum wage. At first she only had about 5 hours every other day, but a college student didn’t return (and didn’t contact them either) and two workers found other jobs, so now DD is getting more hours. They are open a lot of hours 7 days a week. When home on longer school breaks, will offer to work if they are in need (their two kids do a lot of fill-in work currently too).
Some kids have to be shoved a little in the nest - DD will do things if it is her idea, or when she decides enough is enough and will venture out. McDonald’s in our area actually had a HR person at one of our 24 hour McDonald’s for a few hours when I stepped in (this was before DD had her summer job, and I called DD to go put in the on-line application and come to that McDonald’s as the HR person was there a few hours longer) - DD was concerned about fitting in with the diversity of the employees and refused to follow through - H even texted her and she refused him. Her uncle actually was a McDonald’s ass’t manager while in pharmacy school, but her fear of co-workers in some of these McDonald’s (based on talking like they were in the hood) - she just believed it would be torturous. She is in with good employees with her current job.
DD goes to a $10/mo gym nearly every day with hs/college friend that didn’t get a summer job.
Any seasonal place - shaved ice, food truck, water park, etc. Go where it is busy, where they are happy to have an extra cashier, etc.
Think about people you know that manage places.
@livelaughlove55 - My daughter (current Harvard student) also found it difficult to find work the summer after she completed high school (and was also a Target reject). I don’t think she hid the fact she would be attending Harvard, and I have no idea if that hurt her chances. She needed a job to meet her summer earning expectation, and ended up working at a fun park for the summer.
I think one issue with listing an out-of-state school is that it tells the potential employer that the student will not be available for term time work, and there is likely a perception that a student who will be attending Harvard is unlikely to return for a second summer.
I own a small retail business and I hire about 25 kids each summer, aged 16-22 mostly and I am finished with my summer hiring by end of March. The early bird gets the worm. Very rarely do I need anyone else in June. Even for kids whose schools get out in June, like Northwestern, the smart ones all start looking for summer jobs early, like mid-winter break or spring break. Same for the high school kids. And if they are good employees and want to come back the next summer, they have a guaranteed job.
Lol, I made a similar thread a few hours before you with the same problem. Only difference is I’m going to Northwestern.
if your availability ends in summer, look for jobs that do.
However, if your college begins in early fall/ late summer & schools in your area dont begin till the end of Sept., you may be at a disadvantage, especially freshman year when usually there are orientation weeks before school.
Even if she doesnt find a paid position, its worth finding a volunteer comittment, as that will help with finding a school year job/next summer.
Ditto those who said leave off Harvard on the resume. At best it’s seen as name-dropping/bragging, at worst it’s seen as potentially lying/joking. If I were a hiring manager at Target I’d toss out such a resume instantly, wouldn’t want any joker or big headed employee walking around thinking she’s smarter than everyone else. This is a job at Target, not White House/NASA internship.
OP:
My daughter, last year before Freshman year, also didn’t find any retail job. She had some tutoring but not retail. She started applying early June.
This year, she found a job right away. She came home last week of May and a week later she found a job at a nearby mall. The difference from last year: She now has a real work experience (she worked at Cornell at the bookstore/cafe and as an Admin Assistant), she turned in more applications and she’s also 18 now. Some retailers, don’t hire underage employees.
It doesn’t matter whether she lists Harvard or not. For a job like that one, the employers don’t really care about the name of the school. What they care about is the teen’s availability and whether they have seasonal openings that match that availability. My two older girls hunted for summer jobs before they started college, started very early, and still ran into plenty of closed doors. There aren’t enough summer openings to accommodate high school and college age kids and many places are looking for longer term employees.
When your daughter prepares her resume, I assume she tailors it to the job she’s seeking? For Target or Baskin Robbins or places like that, don’t you just fill out an application and answer the specific questions? For tutoring, you’d want to have a complete resume and include not only your college information but perhaps even relevant test score and high school gpa. My college bound daughter started a part-time job in April that morphed into a full time summer job. Her resume included her college destination and the employer specifically asked about it. Depending on where your daughter is applying, she absolutely should list Harvard as her college. It’s not name dropping. It’s a fact that may be relevant.
- yes, it is. Many people would not believe me, but, honestly. Small Employers don’t feel good about hiring “snobby Harvard elite” for a minimum wage dead end job. Just don’t believe in their motivation.
I’ll suggest your D to take a job at Harvard. Best, in the same department where she is planning to major.
For something that requires more analytical or a summer intern experience, people love Harvard students, however in this case it likely does not make a difference or raises the employer’s eyebrows. It may also have to do with job experience, as calicash mentioned in her own forum. Did your daughter have experiences related to the line of work she was searching for beforehand? That can often be the most helpful in securing a job regardless of whether or not she is a Harvard student
Op,
- Does your kid have any experience in retail?
- What does Harvard have to do on her resume; she has not had any experience with H yet.
My DD has had a wide range of jobs and is a student at Yale. She has not been able to get jobs in movie theaters or retail. Your D absolutely needs to tailor her resume based on the type of job that she is looking for.
What is a summer job employer in retail looking for?
I don’t work in retail, but my guesses would be
- Plans on taking no time off for vacations
- Is always early; is not sick
- Will do whatever task is needed, with a smile on her face, without any sense of entitlement
- Will fit in with the other employees and company structure
- Can do basic tasks like making change, organizing shelves, cleaning, providing directions to customers
- Any other applicable job (not classroom) experience
Does her resume show that she can do all of this?
Lastly, if she gets a H on-campus job, her pay might be around $13 / hr. Will be difficult to find a summer job that pays her that well, so might not be worth it to work. Lastly, is Target union? Might be harder to get a job there if it is.
To answer your specific questions:
- Yes, Harvard listed on her resume is a turn off to lower paying employers
- It’s really hard to get your first paying summer job. Many people need to rely on their connection and networks to get their first job. At least my kids needed to.
I hired a LOT of young people to work retail – but it takes time to train, so I never hired anyone for just the summer – 4-6 months would be the minimum. I would be thrilled with any bright willing ambitious kid – Harvard would not be a turnoff for me. I get so many people that think that working retail is for the D students that a bright kid would be very appreciated.
“What does Harvard have to do on her resume; she has not had any experience with H yet.”
It is normal to put the school where you plan to enroll on your resume as soon as you know where you’re going. Lots of future things may belong on the resume, like “BA expected 2018” when you are a sophomore, etc. In this case, of course, it may be a good strategic choice to leave it off.
For employment in the summer camps in upscale areas and tutoring centers Harvard would be a plus. Better summer retail jobs usually go to students who work there during the year and their friends. When my daughter worked at Abercrombie she kept her mouth shut about where she is going to school. When she applied to work at the country club she did not keep it secret.