In the News #4

Teen prepares for summer jobs

Audience: Teens 14-19

Purpose: To remind people to hurry up and apply for summer jobs and try something different.

Like most teens reaching their final year of high school, the stress for seeking a summer job has come upon 17 year old Kayla Free. Her main goal was to apply for a life guarding crash course during mid March.

Kayla sat in front of the computer, her desktop filled with various windows and tabs. She began jolting down addresses and phone numbers on post it notes that were scattered on top of her desk. She then flipped through her Toronto Fun Guide magazine rested on her lap, looking for other available summer jobs. March was the key month for putting in summer job application forms, and Kayla was running out of time.

"I really wish I had looked into finding a summer job earlier." She sighed, "If I had planned to do life guarding earlier, I would have already finished my crash course by now. Looks like I'll only be able to finish it by April. I probably won't even have a job as a life guard this summer."

Even though Kayla knows that her chances of becoming a life guard for this summer are slim, her uncle had convinced her that it would be beneficial to take the crash course anyways. "It's a good idea to have these type of skills to back in your resume because it will benefit you in the long run. Plus, you can always try out for life guarding again." Explains her uncle. "It's also a bonus to obtain an emergency first aid certificate."

Kayla then began to pick out some back up jobs. A particular job she had in mind was being a summer camp counsellor. She already had the skills for working with children from volunteering with kids for three years as a sculpting instructors assistant. She started changing up her old resume and cover letter for that job. It was worth a shot.

After several minuets, she had finished her resume and cover letter and it was ready to be mailed the next morning. However, this did not stop her search. She knew she would have to apply to other places as well, in case she couldn't get that job.

"I want to avoid having a job in retail for the summer, but I know that's not the case." She states, "A job is a job, and I might not even get the one I want. Everyone has to go through customer service jobs, whether they like it or not."

This month will be a busy one for teens all across the country as they try and find a way to make some dough for the summer. Kayla will be continuing to find as many jobs to apply for as sh can. Only time will tell when she'll receive her first call for an interview.