Summer Job Ideas for College Kid

OldRook · Feb 4, 2010

Hey gang, i'm a long time lurker and post only occasionally.

Asking for a group brain storming session as the folks on here come from a wide geographic back ground and diverse industry/service fields.

My son is currently at Purdue in first year Engineering, he is going to declare Civil and pursue that field. Getting good grades and doing well.

We unfortunately live in the second highest unemployment area (was a while ago anyways and hasn't gotten any better)in the country.

He has had a summer job the last three years, but was informed that it wouldn't be available this year due to cut backs. Understandable as they have several hundred folks laid off.

We have a couple of options left here that will hopefully pan out. He's an excellent worker and in great physical shape (takes after his Mom!)

I would hate like heck to pack him up and send him out of the area on a summer job, but just might be the an option.

Any ideas worth reviewing?

huntmancam · Feb 4, 2010

If your looking for a summer job in the engineering industry I am no help to you but if he has any interest in the hotel/restaurant industry I might be a little help. During the summer of my junior year I took a summer job at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Montana. Great place to work. It is located 40 minutes north of Yellowstone National Park. Your surrounded by wildlife. I even hunted antelope while I was up there. I also was able to fly fish the near by creek just about everyday. Most of the staff are younger adults that needed a summer job as well. After I graduated they hired me as the bar manager. Great experience with out a doubt. So if your son wants to get away from the engineering field before he graduates I would recommend it. If interested let me know, I can tell you a lot more. Good Luck

Cameron

OldRook · Feb 4, 2010

Cameron,

exactly the kind of ideas i'm looking for

thanks and we'll be in touch.. I really hope the local option turns out, but we have to be practical

LH

justr_86 · Feb 4, 2010

I worked at big o busting tires. Its hard work with a high turnover rate so getting a job doing that should not be hard. I had a lot of fun doing it but it doesn't pay very well but I met my boss of where I am now doing that. He saw how hard I work and it led to a very good job. Also met some pretty cool people with a lot of different backgrounds.

Its fun to set personal goals on how fast you can get stuff done and I was in very good physical condition doing it. Made me slow down a bit on partying too cause it sucked changing tires with a hangover.

NO GUTS, NO STORY!!

Roy · Feb 4, 2010

Well it is never too early to start applying for internships, though they don't pay you now, they do pay off big time in the long run as it will enhance his career prospects and often times leads to immediate employment upon graduation. I have a few friends who were Dell interns for a number of years before graduating and were hired as soon as school was out.

There is also the option of summer classes. This is a great way to get a lot of credits out of the way for cheap, especially if they are general ed classes he can take at a community college and transfer all the credits to the University. Some universities will even transfer the grades too and not just the credits. This is a great way to boost a GPA as community college classes are less stressful (not less difficult however - at least not in the community college classes I teach!) than regular university classes and students find themselves more capable of getting A's.

You have to look at college as an investment and while he may not be earning money right now but it will pay off in the future. If you can swing it, that is what I would do if my kid didn't have a solid job lined up. If he needs to work to earn the money while he is in school that's a different story. I worked whatever jobs I could find getting myself through school. Dishwasher, cook, telemarketer, construction worker, grocery store stocker, UPS Pre-loader, Tutor, Translator, Sporting goods store associate, Adjunct Instructor.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

OldRook · Feb 4, 2010

Roy

That's one of the options he's looking at (taking summer classes locally)

He's on the DAD scholarship at school so that's a plus for him and i'm glad i can do it for him.

He's always worked summer jobs and that's first choice right now by golly!

springbear · Feb 4, 2010

The Forest Service is hiring firefighters for the summer right now.

He will need to be in good shape...

The aplication process is computer based.

LOTS of phone calls (by him) will be needed to have any shot at it.

nmelk13 · Feb 6, 2010

oldrock- Look into in what the local electric or natural gas company has. The electric company I used to work for until last year hires college kids every summer and paid them pretty decent.

EdleBrock · Feb 6, 2010

The NPS may be hiring for Grand Canyon Trail Crews. With his background in CE, he may be interested. I do know that the GC received quite a bit of stimulus money last year. I ran across a couple crews last year, all young energetic people. I would have enjoyed a summer doing that.

whtelk · Feb 6, 2010

Why isn't he doing the looking at college? I know that they have summer jobs that they line students up with. My daughter has all ready graduated as a civil engineer so we have gone through this within the last 2 years. He should try to get some thing in the field of employment that he is going to school for. Maybe he won't like it and change his major.

Longun · Feb 9, 2010

I here the Axmen are looking for new choker setters....

OldRook · Feb 9, 2010

Appreciate all the ideas fellows!

He posted a resume on Monster and has built a resume on the US Jobs

One of our local contractors has quite a bit of work lined up (chicken houses are still going strong here he said) it looks like the boy is going to be swinging a hammer this summer

Near HOME!

So as of right now all is on track and the right way

I would hate to have to send him away for the summer, but who knows?