Ahhh, summer jobs. They’re not what they used to be. Remember? Your parents nagged you all May to get out and find a job. Finally you jumped on the Schwinn and rode to the mall. Unfortunately you had waited so long that your choices were working the cash register at the Nut Hut or wearing the goofy outfit at Hot-Dog-on-a-stick. Well, at least you had a job.
The Washington Post (June 5, 2008) reports that “the market for summer jobs nationwide is going to be dismal, according to a study released by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
The deterioration of national labor market conditions has accelerated the collapse of the teen job market across the country, the center reported in April.
Teen employment rates have been declining sharply since the fall of 2006. The summer 2007 job market for teens was the worst on record in the post-World War II period as the seasonally adjusted employment rate for teens plummeted to 34.5 percent.”
Well that sucks. The kids will be underfoot. And begging for gas money. But the jobs- and the alternatives- are out there. There’s a cool site for teens called- Job Buddies- http://www.snagajob.com/job-buddies/-and it hooks kids up with bitchen gigs like photo tech opportunities and the ever-popular burger flippin jobs. Hell, it’s only for the summer. It’s not like your kid will be flipping burgers when he’s 40…..well, maybe he will, but who cares? He looks good in the hat.
Typical Job Post on Job Buddies:
Industry: Retail / customer service and call center
Expected wage:
$7-$10 an hour
Extra perks:
There is a good thing about working late nights on the loading dock and in the warehouse: No rules! OK, there are rules, for example, you can’t play forklift demolition derby. But because of your sometimes odd hours and open workplace atmosphere (warehouses have echoes), you’ll have a lot more independence – and accountability. We knew there was a catch…
Celebrity sighting:
“How the heck you gonna get fired…on your day off?”
So famously asks Mr. Jones to his son Craig in the 1995 comedy, “Friday.” Craig, played by Ice Cube, got fired for allegedly stealing boxes. Yes, boxes. Empty boxes. So beware: If you think you have what it takes to make it on the warehouse or loading dock, you’re also going to have to resist the temptation to steal boxes…on your day off. Easy enough.
3 responses so far ↓
Turk // June 8, 2008 at 7:59 am |
When I got downsized in December, to cheer myself up, I started drawing caricatures of famous people before they were born—like–when they were embryos. People started requesting that I draw them as embryos and somehow its taking up most of my time. People are paying me to draw their freinds or favorite celebrities as embryos, and I haven’t had time to search for another job. After spending all day having fun drawing and making toys, the idea of a job working for someone else no longer appeals to me.
Zobmondo // June 8, 2008 at 4:07 pm |
I love the picture. Who doesn’t remember their first job? Mine was working in the Drive-in movie in KC when I was a senior in high school. I had to clean up the parking lot at 2am. I walked around under the stars picking up trash. Boy I sure miss that job.
selling4nolan // June 8, 2008 at 5:28 pm |
My favorite job was bagging groceries at the commissary on post. You sat and ate candy until it was your turn and hoped you didnt get an officers wife, never tipped more than a quarter. Why is it the ones that don’t have the most money tip better than those that do? Maybe they understand a little more.