What did you Learn from your Summer Jobs?

What did you learn from your summer jobs?  I was recently asked to contribute to an article in a national newspaper about lessons that people can learn from past summer jobs.   Although it has been a very long time since I have had a summer job, it got me thinking about all of the things that I learned from those experiences.

There are a number of lessons that can be learned with any job, including summer jobs that you know will end in a couple of months. It doesn’t even matter if the summer job isn’t within your chosen field.  Every job provides you with lessons.

• Communication:  Good communication skills are something that can benefit you in all aspects of your life. Each job that you have will help you develop these skills. You can learn from those around you, and see how your communication affects those you deal with. What communication styles work for you and which ones don’t?
• Developing transferable skills:  Once you have decided what your career path is, research the industry and find out what skills/attributes are typically required. Once you identify those skills, you can look at your summer job and see what you are doing that will help develop those skills to better position you for your new career.
• Strong Work Ethics: It doesn’t matter what job you are in, whether it be a summer job baby sitting or a CEO of a major corporation, you should always put 100% effort into your performance. You never know who you will meet in the course of doing your work and who may play a role in your future.
• Conflict resolution:  Every job will at some point present conflict within the environment. It is important that you handle those conflicts with professionalism and respect. Those traits are extremely important to develop, and every job, including your summer job, will present situations where you will have to deal with conflict. Dealing with minor conflicts today in your summer job can provide you with the skills to deal with major conflicts down the road.
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses:  Having different summer jobs can help you can learn in which areas you thrive and what you don’t necessarily like to do, which generally translates into strengths and weaknesses. I had one summer job where I provided vacation relief for a number of administrative positions within the office, from filing, to bookkeeping, to reception and more. I quickly learned which of those areas I enjoyed and which ones were not so good for me.  I used that information to help me decide what my future career would look like.
• Developing team building skills:  Almost every job requires some level of team work. This isn’t something that everyone necessarily finds easy but is a skill that can benefit you far into the future. Learning how to work within a team can provide you with experience that most hiring managers will see as an asset if they are considering you as a potential employee. In one summer job, I was a cashier in a grocery store. One Friday night, I was the first to close off my station. Once I balanced my cash, I left in a hurry. The next shift, I was the last one to close. Instead of my co-workers running out on me, they stayed behind and helped me to finish closing. I quickly learned the value of working as a team and never again left them to finish alone. Truly a lesson in team work.

Your summer jobs can develop a number of skills that you will carry with you well into the future.   But not only will these skills help you in your job, they can actually help you on the road to your career. You can draw on these experiences during your job interview as well.  Have you ever been to an interview where you were asked questions that started with “Tell me about a time when …”, like an RCMP Regular Member Selection Interview?  All of these summer jobs will provide you with experience examples that you can relay during an interview.

So, if you think that your summer job is just a means to another end, i.e. earning money to pay for university or college, think again.  Think of each summer job as another step towards your ultimate career, and challenge yourself to be the best that you can be.

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