Not having summer activities or working/having internships in college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the student work during the year? As someone who hires entry-level people, I'm not particularly attentive to what they do during the summer, but someone with no work history, who just attended classes and nothing else would be a red flag. Once the person has a work history, I wouldn't be as concerned, but likely would check in with the previous employer about energy level and willingness to stick with the job.

Most kids don't work during the school year if they are taking a full course load. It doesn't signal anything other than lack of time. Now I would wonder about a kid who had no work/internship history at all and they were graduating from college. Summer in college is a good 3 months so there is lots of time to work/intern then.

NP. Is either of you aware that two summers in a row -- last summer and this summer -- there's been a pandemic?

And despite what DCUM loves to trumpet, no, there are not jobs, even fast food or retail jobs, just lying there waiting for students. Go look at the threads talking about students applying for job after job only to find they never hear a peep because corporate websites are so slammed with applicants right now.

As for the shiny professional internships that look good on resumes, the past two summers my DC and DC's friends have found those mostly dried up due to pandemic concerns. No offices open for regular employees, much less interns. Virtual internships? They supposedly exist but are rarer than hens' teeth.

DC is working at home on a research project for a professor, thank goodness. It's not terribly arduous but it's interesting and DC will be able to write it up to look good on a resume. But this summer and last summer, especially last summer, sucked for many college students re: internships or even basic jobs. And the stuff about "just work at McDonald's, Home Depot, anywhere!" -- easier said than done. Employers aren't very interested in college students when there are so many desperate adults applying for the same jobs and the adults won't disappear when school begins.

I agree with the rest but the bolded part simply isn’t true. At least where I am these places are begging for workers. My younger kid got a job at one of these places on the spot (during the interview) and they were fine with my kid saying he’d only be available for 7 weeks.

[Anonymous]

I’d expect them to at least go to beach and get a beach job or travel around the US staying at Walmart parking lots and camping.

My niece “took off” June-June after she graduated. She was a white water raft guide fur 10 weeks then a ski instructor/lift person December - March.

I respect taking the time before working in the real world.

[Anonymous]

Is this now the 3rd thread from ivy boy mom? Just checkin

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your replies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this now the 3rd thread from ivy boy mom? Just checkin

No

[Anonymous]

The only college grads I know who didn’t get jobs were those who never worked. The feedback was that lack of job history was the reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only college grads I know who didn’t get jobs were those who never worked. The feedback was that lack of job history was the reason.

Couldn't they get an entry-level job after graduating--the kind that they would have been competitive candidates for in college?

[Anonymous]

Lack of jobs? Come on! My DS got his first job (he is 16) in May. He signed up for part-time but it ended up being full-time because they couldn't find enough people to work. Now the summer job is asking him to stay all year on a part-time basis doing a different job. They said they usually get college kids to do this particular job but they haven't found enough people for it. High school and college-aged kids are old enough to be vaccinated so that should not be a reason for not working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the student work during the year? As someone who hires entry-level people, I'm not particularly attentive to what they do during the summer, but someone with no work history, who just attended classes and nothing else would be a red flag. Once the person has a work history, I wouldn't be as concerned, but likely would check in with the previous employer about energy level and willingness to stick with the job.

Most kids don't work during the school year if they are taking a full course load. It doesn't signal anything other than lack of time. Now I would wonder about a kid who had no work/internship history at all and they were graduating from college. Summer in college is a good 3 months so there is lots of time to work/intern then.

NP. Is either of you aware that two summers in a row -- last summer and this summer -- there's been a pandemic?

And despite what DCUM loves to trumpet, no, there are not jobs, even fast food or retail jobs, just lying there waiting for students. Go look at the threads talking about students applying for job after job only to find they never hear a peep because corporate websites are so slammed with applicants right now.

As for the shiny professional internships that look good on resumes, the past two summers my DC and DC's friends have found those mostly dried up due to pandemic concerns. No offices open for regular employees, much less interns. Virtual internships? They supposedly exist but are rarer than hens' teeth.

DC is working at home on a research project for a professor, thank goodness. It's not terribly arduous but it's interesting and DC will be able to write it up to look good on a resume. But this summer and last summer, especially last summer, sucked for many college students re: internships or even basic jobs. And the stuff about "just work at McDonald's, Home Depot, anywhere!" -- easier said than done. Employers aren't very interested in college students when there are so many desperate adults applying for the same jobs and the adults won't disappear when school begins.

I have a current rising college sophomore and a rising senior in high school. They have both managed to have jobs both this summer and last.

[Anonymous]

My University student works through the year and does an internship. He's very driven and hard on himself.

He has friends who have never worked. They don't even get a call back. That aspect would concern me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the student work during the year? As someone who hires entry-level people, I'm not particularly attentive to what they do during the summer, but someone with no work history, who just attended classes and nothing else would be a red flag. Once the person has a work history, I wouldn't be as concerned, but likely would check in with the previous employer about energy level and willingness to stick with the job.

Most kids don't work during the school year if they are taking a full course load. It doesn't signal anything other than lack of time. Now I would wonder about a kid who had no work/internship history at all and they were graduating from college. Summer in college is a good 3 months so there is lots of time to work/intern then.

NP. Is either of you aware that two summers in a row -- last summer and this summer -- there's been a pandemic?

And despite what DCUM loves to trumpet, no, there are not jobs, even fast food or retail jobs, just lying there waiting for students. Go look at the threads talking about students applying for job after job only to find they never hear a peep because corporate websites are so slammed with applicants right now.

As for the shiny professional internships that look good on resumes, the past two summers my DC and DC's friends have found those mostly dried up due to pandemic concerns. No offices open for regular employees, much less interns. Virtual internships? They supposedly exist but are rarer than hens' teeth.

DC is working at home on a research project for a professor, thank goodness. It's not terribly arduous but it's interesting and DC will be able to write it up to look good on a resume. But this summer and last summer, especially last summer, sucked for many college students re: internships or even basic jobs. And the stuff about "just work at McDonald's, Home Depot, anywhere!" -- easier said than done. Employers aren't very interested in college students when there are so many desperate adults applying for the same jobs and the adults won't disappear when school begins.

Your kid is playing you, mama bear. Service industry is desperate for workers, only reason for someone not to be working right now is if they don’t want to.

[Anonymous]

big red flag. but for law school lsat and gpa are king. But the summer before law school is key: huge leg up to those with some type of legal experience.

[Anonymous]

DS never had any jobs prior to college graduation, and he is now working for Google.

Summer activities or jobs is really overblown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the student work during the year? As someone who hires entry-level people, I'm not particularly attentive to what they do during the summer, but someone with no work history, who just attended classes and nothing else would be a red flag. Once the person has a work history, I wouldn't be as concerned, but likely would check in with the previous employer about energy level and willingness to stick with the job.

Most kids don't work during the school year if they are taking a full course load. It doesn't signal anything other than lack of time. Now I would wonder about a kid who had no work/internship history at all and they were graduating from college. Summer in college is a good 3 months so there is lots of time to work/intern then.

NP. Is either of you aware that two summers in a row -- last summer and this summer -- there's been a pandemic?

And despite what DCUM loves to trumpet, no, there are not jobs, even fast food or retail jobs, just lying there waiting for students. Go look at the threads talking about students applying for job after job only to find they never hear a peep because corporate websites are so slammed with applicants right now.

As for the shiny professional internships that look good on resumes, the past two summers my DC and DC's friends have found those mostly dried up due to pandemic concerns. No offices open for regular employees, much less interns. Virtual internships? They supposedly exist but are rarer than hens' teeth.

DC is working at home on a research project for a professor, thank goodness. It's not terribly arduous but it's interesting and DC will be able to write it up to look good on a resume. But this summer and last summer, especially last summer, sucked for many college students re: internships or even basic jobs. And the stuff about "just work at McDonald's, Home Depot, anywhere!" -- easier said than done. Employers aren't very interested in college students when there are so many desperate adults applying for the same jobs and the adults won't disappear when school begins.

I know many high school and college students. I don't know anyone who tried to get a job and was not successful. It is true that it sometimes takes more than putting in an online application. Go in person to one of the MANY local places that has a help wanted sign in the window, ask your friend who is working to put in a good word, reach out to people you know to ask them if they know of anything. For those of us who hire entry level employees, a big area of concern is will this person be able to function and figure things out without constant handholding. There are plenty of good reasons that not working over the past year could be the best choice for an individual, but "I couldn't figure out how to get a job" would not be one of them for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS never had any jobs prior to college graduation, and he is now working for Google.

Summer activities or jobs is really overblown.

Why did he have a job? Laying around all summer is not okay for my teen and college-aged kid.