Mid-50’s teacher. Deciding to take this summer off from traveling and thought a summer job would help pay off some bills (please don’t make this political about the economy). I’d just like some quiet job like warehousing (not at WallyWorld. Been there, done that, never again) or installing tires or what not.
How would I do that? I’m not going to go in demanding $30/hr based on experience and they would know its 6 - 8 weeks. No one does resumes anymore do they? Where would these summer jobs even advertise?
You might want to try Indeed. It allows you to set quite a few parameters in terms of what you are looking for.
I have no idea if it would work, but it’s probably fairly painless to try and IIRC it is free (I wouldn’t pay for it) - the potential employers are the ones who cover the costs.
And if you want to keep teaching, maybe a summer camp, or museum summer program, etc.?
Outdoor programs might need guides and shop workers and admin staff and such too.
Indeed is really hit-or-miss; a lot of it is automated spam these days Craigslist is still around and I’ve gotten many full-time and part-time jobs from there…
Also, maybe try the local community colleges too? The one we have here hire random community instructors for summer courses like mountain biking and bowling. They also have community programs where students can use their credits and tuition to take classes offsite for everything from ukelele to taekwondo.
Separately, my undergrad university also let community members propose their own extended ed program (usually a month or two), from which they’d keep 50% of the tuition earned: https://www.humboldt.edu/olli/teach
Not sure if programs like that are available elsewhere.
I’ll tell you what, if you are handy, you can pretty much write your own ticket.
There is always a screaming need for people who can do little honey-do fixes around a house: Simple plumbing repairs (think running toilet), fence mending, a stray board nailed back into place on a building, door hardware replacement, lawn mowing, painting, gutter cleaning – the list is endless. Lots of older folks who can’t do these things themselves any longer but aren’t ready to downsize.
Advertise on Craig’s List or Nextdoor and you’ll have as much work (or as little) as you want.
I would still talk to your fellow teachers and anyone else you know. They may know, for example, that someone in their office planned a month-long trip to Europe and therefore there’s a need for coverage. And their recommendation may make it easier for you to secure the job.
There really aren’t summer jobs except in what I guess you could call “tourism and entertainment” like resorts, amusement parks , day camps and that sort of thing. Possibly highway rest areas and restaurants and souvenir shops. . Most retail doesn’t hire for the summer - if you wanted to work at Pep Boys for the summer, you’d pretty much have to hide the fact that you are a teacher and will be leaving before school starts.
As far as how to apply, most big chains have an online application process.
Lots of places are having trouble finding workers, so you might be able to get a job at a regular business. For instance, go to a few tire stores and see what they say about your proposal. If they are having trouble getting workers, they might jump at the chance to get 8 weeks of dependable work from a reliable employee.
But for just a summer job, one resource is to look at the job postings for your city. They may need extra people to handle the summer rush at their recreational facilities, such as pools, parks, and libraries.
A decade or two ago, I had 3 teacher friends who painted houses in the summer. Hard work, but it paid pretty well. If that appeals to you, you might talk to local painting companies.
Try your local employment office. I’m a retired teacher now, but once I went into the local Georgia Department of Labor to see what was available. I got a couple of offers the next day (a video store was one). I decided to do another offer I got from elsewhere, however.
That reminds me of this story from This American Life about a rest stop on the New York Thruway staffed in part by foreign students on special visas for the summer. The students were from Ukraine, Taiwan and Poland, Other foreign students get jobs at amusement parks.
I mentioned the rest stops for summer jobs because I remember seeing employees with their country name listed on their name tags, just like I see at amusement parks.
Right. It was a wonderful system. The employers get additional help over the summer when it’s hard to hire enough domestic workers and kids from around the world have an adventure while earning some money.
Craigslist is still around and I’ve gotten many full-time and part-time jobs from there…