Morgan Markley
Senior Reporter
With the school year winding down, Keene State College students sell back their books and begin switching gears from being a student to entering the workforce for the summer months. According to Forbes.com, some of the best summer jobs for students include being a freelance writer, server, and nanny. Kristin Szymkowicz, a junior at KSC, said that during the summer months she babysits. “I have been babysitting for the past six years I’m hoping to do that again this summer. I have two jobs set up but I am trying to get a third,” the junior said.
Szymkowicz is a communications major with a broadcast journalism minor who said that even though her job doesn’t relate to her major she still enjoys it. Szymkowicz said her job babysitting is something she’s used to.
“It’s been easy and I just got into it six years ago and it just kind of worked out well,” she said. Szymkowicz said that the job has always been available to her.
She said she enjoys her job because,“I get to hangout with kids all day, that’s awesome in itself, the money obviously.” Szymkowicz said that she likes having money so she can do stuff and go shopping. Szymkowicz said she works during the weekdays,“I work five days a week and get weekends off.” Szymkowicz said that almost everyone she knows has a summer job. She said, “I live in a really small town and a lot of people work at farm stands or ice cream shops.” she explained, “I actually live right next to UMass Amherst which is a huge college town and during the summer the students go away, so you would think that they would have a lot of jobs available.”
Finding a summer job isn’t easy though, Szymkowicz explained, “One of the main reasons I’ve been solely babysitting is that I’ve applied for so many job in my area and can’t get one. I think the main reason is because restaurants and local businesses and stuff like that want someone who can be there all year-round and they don’t want to hire someone just for the summer.”
She added, “I know that was a big problem I ran into with a lot of the restaurants I applied to; they didn’t consider me because they didn’t want to train me and then have me stay for three months…and then leave in the fall.”
Junior Sarah DiTonno agrees that finding a summer job is not easy, “Personally I think it’s hard because I’m struggling to find a second summer job, I think it’s just difficult because a lot of places want full time and you can’t give them full time.” She explained, “I think that it’s most difficult finding a job that will fit your part time schedule.”
DiTonno said that during the summer she works at a summer camps for theatre kids.
DiTonno’s major at KSC is elementary education major with theatre and dance, and this job relates to her major a lot.
DiTonno explained what the camps is: “It’s a day camp 8-2 and they [children] come and we put on a production for six weeks and at the end of the six weeks they put on a show. They’re doing Annie this year and my job is to choreograph the entire show.”
DiTonno said besides making money, her favorite part of her job is being able to work with children.
DiTonno said that while she likes her job it wouldn’t be her first pick, “It’s a good start to a summer job, it wouldn’t be my ideal summer job every summer.” She added, “My ideal summer job would probably be working at a dance studio…or maybe at like a preschool or a day camp that is strictly elementary school kids.”
DiTonno said, “All my college friends have jobs over the summer.”
Danielle Wachs, a freshman at KSC, said she doesn’t currently have a summer job lined up but she has had previous jobs that include, “I worked a dog grooming place and a fast food restaurant.” She added, “I just quit my job and I’m going to try to find a new job.” Wachs said, “I’m in communications and I guess with fast food you don’t really get much interaction with people.”
Wachs said, “My favorite part was being able to have money and do things” and also said, “My least favorite part was having to work on really nice days and missing out on certain opportunities.” Wachs said she usually works four or five days a week during the summer.
Wachs also said she thinks it is easier for college aged students to find summer work because we’re older than the high school aged students looking for jobs. Whether it be nannying or working at a fast food restaurant, KSC students drop their books fast, and instead, start picking up paychecks.
Morgan Markley can be contacted at
mmarkley@keene-equionx.com