Summer vacations are often used for “resting”. Usually, kids go on family trips, summer camps, and abroad to spend their summer. However, studies show that most kids nowadays think of working while studying in school. The international school scene has recognized this trend among others and the major benefits a working student is gaining especially from summer jobs where they are able to invest their time freely.
To name a few, here are significant benefits that these kids acquire in working during summer vacation:
Additional source of allowance
One obvious reason why most students work during their summer vacation is the additional source of allowance that they could use for their tuition fee in the incoming school term or for other personal expenses. This however, is also a benefit apart from being a major reason, which they have for working during summer vacations. Also kids of this generation are thrilled with the rewarding feeling that they would gain from earning their own money.
Advanced adaptation on relevant working ethics
As students who are usually in a four-cornered room, they are used to specific classroom ethics that they practice every day. By working for a summer job, they learn far ahead from their peers – the common work ethics that adults practice in their daily routine at work. This connects the gap between the pampered and the independent practices that these two different fields have.
Opportunity to improve soft skills
Serving orders, juggling patties at the kitchen, and mopping floors might not be part of the kids’ dream job – but the experience from doing these things will be helpful in honing their soft skills. The harder the task (such as cleaning tables for fast food chains), the more they appreciate the job – and all the more that they are able to improve their ability to manage time effectively and work under pressure.
Develop customer service skills
Interacting and attending to the customers’ desires and needs regarding the company’s product/service is a common scenario in the working world. As such, it would be a huge plus for kids who are doing summer jobs when they interact directly with customers. It is challenging for the kids’ creativity but – they will gain from the experience tremendously.
Connect with people
Network is an important factor in the working world – as expanding connection with different people, not only with classmates and schoolmates but with colleagues, managers, and clients, will help kids gain multiple jobs offers that they can choose from when they enter the industry. These people will definitely help them achieve their dream job given that these kids also work hard at their summer jobs no matter how hard it is and how different it is from their desired work.
Opportunity to be flexible
Having said that summer jobs do not entirely fit with people’s desired work, the experience that these kids gain from their summer jobs will definitely help them learn and develop their ability to be flexible with the tasks that will be asked of them – even in their dream jobs. Working is not always about doing what the title requires – but what the management asks. But this doesn’t mean it’s a disadvantage, it’s rather an opportunity to test a person’s limits and flexibility.
Experience to handle finances
Being able to work for a summer job helps kids gain experience in handling their own finances – if they want to save up for future expenses or save up for their tuition fees through summer job, they may need to independently handle their own earnings and manage their budget. It’s one of the advantages and benefits that they can acquire from a summer job and something that can help them in the future.
It isn’t wrong for kids to work even when they haven’t graduated yet. In fact, it helps them overcome their fears, and become confident in a professional manner. However, it is also important to note that they should still prioritize their studies over work – and what better way to do this is to work during summer vacation.