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Summer - relaxation, no homework and a time to add a little extra padding to the bank account.
Summer jobs, whether they are a necessity or are just there to fill time, can have their benefits and downfalls.
While great summer jobs are available, there are also some that students might want to avoid.
The worst job to have in the summer has to be the job that requires you to stand on a corner and twirl a sign, junior Halley Leta-Pombo said. It's way too hot to be dancing for Little Caesars or some real estate agent.
"Yeah, they pay you $15 or $16 bucks an hour, but is it really worth becoming dehydrated?" she said. "I would really hate to do that."
While finding a job during the school year can be challenging, in summer it becomes a little easier, said Maurice Baker, a student placement interviewer at the Student Employment Office. Students go home or graduate, and more jobs open up.
If students are interested in finding a job during the summer, they should start looking in the beginning of May and June, Baker said.
Most employers don't post summer job openings until May, when students will know what their summer plans are, Baker said.
The most popular summer positions include summer camp and ranch jobs, and they get filled pretty quickly, he said.
Another benefit of summer jobs is that they can be used to beef-up a resume.
Senior Thomas Cox said he and many of his friends work during the summer.
His best summer job has been coaching little league baseball, he said.
"I worked because I wanted to, which definitely made a difference," he said. "If I had to get a job, I probably wouldn't have been able to work doing things that helped my future and looked good on my resume."
Working for an oil changing company has been the worst summer job Cox has ever had, he said.
"I was the only person that didn't know Spanish, so I was the minority," he said. "And you get grease and oil all over you, and you can't get it off."
Some students need to work all the time, and may not be able to afford working during just the summer months. They also may take study habits into consideration when thinking about getting a job.
If students have good study habits, and they need to, they should work all year, sophomore Cory Nixon said.
Nixon also thinks students should use the summer to look for internships that will help advance their careers later in life, he said.
And if students are planning on staying in Chico, they should avoid gardening or manual jobs that will take them outside, he said.
Students interested in getting a summer job can visit the Student Employment Office in University Center, Room 109.
Ashley Latoof can be reached at alatoof@theorion.com
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