Summer btw HS Junior and Senior year

[Anonymous]

DS is a HS junior, and all of his friends seem to be doing internships (mostly secured by their parents) this summer. He is interested in studying business, maybe history or economics in college. Is it really a good idea for him to spend a chunk of his summer making copies, or whatever the equivalent is these days, instead of traveling, volunteering, etc? Maybe I’m naive, but he only has so many summers left to do something cool. He’s spending the first half of the summer playing his sport and working at a day camp, and I’d like to see him spend the second half doing something really life changing instead of pushing paper at some random internship. But maybe kids need to show more professional experience and focus for college? Appreciate any advice!

[Anonymous]

None of DC’s friends have internships this summer. Lots of volunteer work, various camp counselor / lifeguard jobs, working on college essays, getting a head start on capstone projects.

[Anonymous]

Years of real summer jobs helped my son get a real internship in college. The recruiter said that they rarely consider students who have zero work history.

[Anonymous]

I see you writing about what you want, but what does your kid want to do this summer? My kid will be working because that’s what he wants to do. At this point, it’s better to follow their lead.

[Anonymous]

Nothing wrong with a regular summer job. I wish we could go back to the days when summer job meant lifeguarding, babysitting, working in amusement parks, camp counseling, etc.

[Anonymous]

What life changing idea do you have in mind OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What life changing idea do you have in mind OP?

This, esp something life changing that can only fit into the second half of his summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing wrong with a regular summer job. I wish we could go back to the days when summer job meant lifeguarding, babysitting, working in amusement parks, camp counseling, etc.

These summer jobs are filled with mostly middle and lower class kids like mine. My friends who are UMC look down on these types of jobs which is unfortunate. My DS has enjoyed all of his varied summer jobs and they were what he talked about in internships interviews in college.

[Anonymous]

Let them sleep , drink and have sex

must suck to be a kid these days

[Anonymous]

Lifeguard and chase girls! He's 17!

[Anonymous]

My kid is working at a pool. Not sure if it will be "life changing" LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Years of real summer jobs helped my son get a real internship in college. The recruiter said that they rarely consider students who have zero work history.

+1 my kids worked "regular" jobs during HS summers and first college summer. Did well with college internships.

Also, as someone who hires interns, I only really consider someone who had some experience like retail/camp counselor/food service. If you've only done "internships" since HS, I'm going to assume most of those weren't real jobs and that you just have well connected parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a HS junior, and all of his friends seem to be doing internships (mostly secured by their parents) this summer. He is interested in studying business, maybe history or economics in college. Is it really a good idea for him to spend a chunk of his summer making copies, or whatever the equivalent is these days, instead of traveling, volunteering, etc? Maybe I’m naive, but he only has so many summers left to do something cool. He’s spending the first half of the summer playing his sport and working at a day camp, and I’d like to see him spend the second half doing something really life changing instead of pushing paper at some random internship. But maybe kids need to show more professional experience and focus for college? Appreciate any advice!

Isn't college "really life changing"? Doesn't it make sense for him to prepare for college?
If he doesn't like some "random" internship, then allow him to develop his own project or find an internship that is not random.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years of real summer jobs helped my son get a real internship in college. The recruiter said that they rarely consider students who have zero work history.

+1 my kids worked "regular" jobs during HS summers and first college summer. Did well with college internships.

Also, as someone who hires interns, I only really consider someone who had some experience like retail/camp counselor/food service. If you've only done "internships" since HS, I'm going to assume most of those weren't real jobs and that you just have well connected parents.

Agree with this. We are wealthy/well connected and my kids both did internships (like on Capitol Hill) in high school, but they also worked retail and as camp counselors to make money during college, before junior year paid internships. They learned good practical people skills in retail. For at least one kid, the retail job was a hook for getting his first post college job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years of real summer jobs helped my son get a real internship in college. The recruiter said that they rarely consider students who have zero work history.

+1 my kids worked "regular" jobs during HS summers and first college summer. Did well with college internships.

Also, as someone who hires interns, I only really consider someone who had some experience like retail/camp counselor/food service. If you've only done "internships" since HS, I'm going to assume most of those weren't real jobs and that you just have well connected parents.

Love this. Just wish I believed that my kids years of retail and camp counseling were helping them land an internship now as a college sophomore! The pressure is a lot.