Looking for a Summer Job?

If you are like me, you are probably wondering what COVID-19 means for employment options this summer, as if finding a summer job wasn’t hard enough. You probably have also already realized that you will still have things to pay for after this all blows over such as loans, trips you had already planned, and funds you will need to save. Given our current situation, finding a summer job might be more difficult, but on the bright side, you will have fewer distractions during the job hunt while practicing social distancing.

The first step of your job search is knowing what is on the table as well as understanding what risks you are willing to take. Try asking questions like, “How many people am I going to be living with? How many will I come into contact with through a potential job? How secure is my job if shutdowns continue for longer than we expect?” These questions will help answer whether you would want to find an onsite or remote job. If you decide to find a job with a physical location, that is totally fine, as long as you understand the risks that come with that. In fact, there are many jobs currently in high demand that are essential to our society running including delivery drivers, Amazon, grocery stores, medical supply manufactures, landscapers, and more.

Thankfully we live in the twenty-first century, and there are plenty of options out there when it comes to searching for online jobs as well. The world is very different today than it was 50 years ago (or so I’ve heard). Employers value information and service just as much as production, so be open-minded with your search. What are some things that you like to do? What industries interest you? How much time are you willing to spend to get paid? What are your skills? These are all factors that should come into play with your decision on how to make money online. Some example of jobs you could get online include editing, design/marketing, teaching, and even doing surveys. You could also sell items on Amazon or Facebook Marketplace. For example, there are an estimated 250,000 sellers on Amazon that make more than $100,000 a year. This fact doesn’t necessarily mean that it is easy to do. However, if you are willing to put in the work, the research, and take calculated risks, your part-time summer job could become much more than you had hoped. Lastly, as you are looking for online options, be cautious of get-rich schemes. Despite what internet personalities may tell you, there is no such thing. Odds are, they have a hidden agenda and are making money from you taking their advice.

With all this said and done, when you pick a direction, stick with it to give it a fair chance. A lot of jobs pick up speed and will pay off the more work that you put into them and giving up when it gets hard could be the worst thing you could do. Good luck, and stay safe!