Friday, April 30, 2010
Summertime is fast approaching. For college students, this could mean a number of things. For some of us, it's about getting a resume-building internship that will provide valuable coffee-fetching experience. For others, it's about studying abroad, even though everything that was ever good in the history of the world is already in America (USA! USA! USA!). Still others see it as an opportunity to do something called “hanging out” with what kids these days call “friends.” But, if you're like me, summer is all about working and saving up as much money as possible.
Now is the time to start looking for a summer job, because soon there will be a rush of high school and college kids turning in applications. The competition can be fierce. Even more important than beating that rush, however, is finding a job that's right for you. In addition to being a Pulitzer Prize awarded columnist, I am also a top-notch career counselor. Here are just a few great summer job opportunities you can take advantage of:
— Ice cream scooper – What's better than ice cream on a warm summer evening? And what's more fun than handing out cone after cone of it to ungrateful children while you get to have none? I worked at Ben & Jerry's last summer and had a dandy of a time. It was like working in a stationary ice cream truck! Their most popular flavor might be Phish Food, named after the band. Phish should be thankful to have a flavor named after them, because not every band has the same opportunity for such great synergy. For example: Poison.
— Teacher's assistant – I have been a TA for the last six summers and have never had to grade a single paper. That's mostly because I'm a TA for a kindergarten summer school. But the lack of papers and tests doesn't mean I don't have opportunities to pass judgment on their work. I am the harshest art critic a kindergarten class will ever see. If you paint a picture of a giraffe, it sure as sugar better look like a giraffe, or you are getting a scathing review on my popular kindergarten art blog. Good luck having a career after that.
— Astronaut – It might be tough to land an astronaut gig these days, with the budget cuts at NASA and massive amounts of physical and educational requirements. But, if you can get around all that, it's a pretty sweet job. You get to float around in space for a while and drink Tang all day. Easy money. You can even apply online at usajobs.gov.
— Swagger coach personal assistant – If you have swagger, poise and experience with word processors, you might be the right person for the job. Take down memos, set appointments with up-and-coming pop stars and buy standard-length white socks in bulk all while getting paid in SwaggerBucks, which are actually more valuable than real money, depending on what you value more. E-mail me for more info. Hope to see you (and Justin Bieber, if he's come to his senses) this summer!
— Nichols is a junior from Stilwell in creative writing.
Nichols: Silly Bandz have staying power
They may be just a fad, but Silly Bandz could be sticking ...
Nichols: An insider's tips on swagger
Some free tips to help you get your swagger on.
The hottest and the coolest jobs in ...
Summer weather is hot. Some gigs keep employees in an arctic blast ...
Food Review
Ice Cream
McConnell: Times are bad when a half ...
Good For You, Bad For You: Eating ...
Sometimes it's hard to tell.
What Do You Think?: April 11, 2007
Where do you think is the best place to get ice cream?
The KU alumnus who found Pluto
Michael Byers discussed his new novel about Pluto's discovery at the Kansas ...
Kansan Departments
Your guide to surviving the week.
Editorial: Being productive this summer is easier ...
With the summer coming up, it is important to be productive to ...
Double the pleasure, double the fun
Local businesses offer weekly specials that give you two for the price ...
Nichols: Benefits of child labor
There are upsides to getting an early start on your career.
Catch of the Week: Ramona Yoder
A weekly peek at a fish in the KU sea.
Nichols: I want to work for Sheen, ...
Thanks to Twitter and the viral nature of today's Internet culture, Charlie ...
Student Senate freshmen elections end today
Twenty-four freshmen are running for Student Senate. Candidates submitted biographies to the ...
University alerts network users to phishing
A fraudulent e-mail asked students and faculty to provide their usernames and ...
Job fair adds summer camps
Nichols: Doubling Down may be ticket to ...
KFC's new "Double Down" sandwich may contribute to a new wave of ...
Five questions: Meghan Perkins and Hannah Ballard
Two people. Five questions. See how they stack up.
Food Review
As the days get longer and temperatures inch up the thermostat, a ...
Who's Who: Ryan Rabe
Senior Ryan Rabe works as a fourth semester teaching assistant who oversees ...
Students get zero-gravity opportunity
The space program accepts more students from KU than ever for its ...
Movie Review: "Apollo 18"
Hollywood hits, indie flicks and everything in between.
Don't call them 'sci-fi' enthusiasts
Science fiction writers, fans clear up differences; meet for summer workshop.
Sophomore tries all 130 flavors
One student tastes everything at Tad's Tropical Sno - twice.
Job placement rate worries professionals
Career experts see hope in the future for job opportunities despite recent ...
Nichols: Just when I thought I’d never ...
Q&A with Jeff Marx, co-creator of Broadway ...
Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.
Nichols: Why an old person shouldn't make ...
Reesing's book offers look inside the lines
Former Jayhawk quarterback Todd Reesing recently co-authored a book about his life ...
Good for you, bad for you: Eating ...
Will raw cookie dough and cookie dough ice cream hurt you?
De Oliveira: In defense of taking vacations
After graduation, students can look forward to long work days with little ...
Coach starts small to dream big
Coach Ritch Price reflects on his experiences throughout the years that led ...
Kansas Cities: Cimarron
Learn some fun facts about the city in southwest Kansas.
Summer jobs still available
MOVIE: The Wackness
Q & A
with Distance to Empty
In the life of: An architect
Living vicariously through others is okay with us.
Crime still an issue despite fewer students
As the student population drops in the summer months, crime remains unabated.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID