Summer Fun

By Luci Farrell

Summer means sunglasses, swimming, and suntan lotion to most. Yet, for most of the college student population summer means much more; jobs, internships, and graduation. For those heading into the workplace there is a daunting task ahead: Job Applications. As someone who has perfected the art of not throwing my computer across the room when doing these I can give some insight on this horror.

Job applications, after some time cause your brain to melt. No matter if it is the most fantastic job in the world, certain applications can drain the will to go on from the average person. One application I managed to drag myself through took a full hour. Halfway through you question why you’re applying for this job, if it’s worth it, and if these people could possibly have a soul to put you through this much hassle. Thankfully many of these online applications allow you to save your progress and return later to piece it together. This allows you to take a few minutes to stick your head out of a window, breathe and realize you are not a zombie.

For those looking for summer jobs, I do hope you have already begun the search. For those looking for internships, there are still some you can manage to snag, do not lose hope. For juniors and seniors in college start making profiles on Monster, CareerBuilder, and LinkedIn. The Internet can be your friend in the job hunt. Much of the hassle is taken away. Check your school out to get a heads up about summer internships in the area. Here at SXU we also have CougarJobs, which links you up with jobs both on campus and in the area. Employers have made connections and let SXU know about availabilities within their organization.

The job hunt leads to other ‘fun’ adventures. The phone calls, the interviews, and the beautiful waiting game. Oh the waiting game. It’s wonderful. Just sitting there. Waiting. Thankfully this year I have the senior project to occupy my time. The phone calls have already begun for me. Consulting firms that were impressed with my resume and apparently my phone skills. Unfortunately, they were hiring for immediate position fulfillment, which put a bit of a damper on the news. It seems, however, that they wish to keep my file and want to hear back from me once I am back in Connecticut. There are always little victories to hold on to and to keep me from screaming at a level that my neighbors would grow concerned.

So head off into the world of jobs. The summer is always full of opportunities. Park services are always looking for extra help and I know camp counselors are always needed. As a former one myself you never know when an extra set of hands are needed. Or when a counselor suddenly falls off the face of the earth and the position needs someone ASAP. Never fear bloggers, while the job market is not perfect, summer is a time of hope.

Keep Calm and Apply On

Luci Farrell is a senior from New Haven, CT. She is an Organizational Communication major with a minor in Anthropology. Luci is a Resident Peer Minister on campus and chair of the Honors Program Advisory Council at Saint Xavier University.