Summer jobs still available
Published on Wed., June 7th, 2006
With summer finally here, some students are having trouble finding a summer job. It’s a difficult task for various reasons, but most of all searching for that perfect job takes up time and patience.
Jobs in Lawrence fill up fast because of the vast amount of college students who arrive each year. The summer months seem to open up more employment opportunities after students leave, but some businesses don’t hire for summer because the Lawrence population decreases.
“As kids leave, traffic slows down, therefore the need for employees goes down also,” said Matt Furse general manager of Britches, 843 Massachusetts St.
Luckily for those students still looking for a job, some businesses that have already done summer hiring want to hire one to two more people, while others haven’t even begun theirs.
Backyard Burgers, 2351 W. 31st. St., is one of the businesses that recently started hiring its summer staff.
Martin Hash, co-owner, said he will hire approximately two people this summer. Out of his 25 employees, Hash said he has about 10 who are college students. When interviewing people for positions, Hash said he looks for people who will look him in the eye and speak clearly.
Even if Hash isn’t hiring, he is always looking for new employees.
“You always want that golden child to walk in, so we always accept applications,” Hash said.
Libby Strong, Barrington, Ill., junior has had trouble finding a summer job in Lawrence. She applied at various places on the KU Web site, such as the Burge Union bookstore and the computer tech shop in the Kansas Union. Strong said she would like to waitress, but didn’t apply at any restaurants because of rumors that no jobs were available.
“I heard everywhere was full, so I didn’t waste my time,” Strong said.
Other students have run into similar problems.
“I need a job. If I’m going to live here, I need to work,” said Carter House, Overland Park junior. House applied at Capital Federal Bank and Commerce Bank a week ago, but hasn’t heard back yet.
House said he waited to start looking for a job until after classes let out and after he visited a friend’s family in Illinois; time just wouldn’t allow it.
Backyard Burgers isn’t the only business that continuously reviews applications throughout the year.
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 3900 W. 6th St., has hired its summer staff, but is still accepting applications.
“I would tell anybody interested in a job to come on out,” said Geoff Moncher, Applebee’s manager.
Kashan Javad, assistant manager at Abercrombie and Fitch, 647 Massachusetts St., said they always accept applications and are looking for new employees to fill positions left by students who left Lawrence for the summer.
“We are more aiming towards summer since a lot of college kids are going home,” Javed said about hiring for the summer rather than the fall.
Some students don’t have the hassle of trying to find a summer job because they already have one.
Tom Whitehead, Leawood junior, has worked for his father during the summer for the past six years. His dad, Tom Whitehead Sr., is the owner and president of Phoenix Building Group, which is based out of Stillwell. The company covers general contracting projects all over the Kansas City, Kan., area.
Whitehead decided to live at home for the summer to save money and not have to work during the school year.
“I use what money I need to get by, for gas and my lunches, but other than that I’m just saving up for the school year,” Tom Whitehead said.
Despite living in Kansas City. Kan., with all his friends in Lawrence, Whitehead said he will be in town at least every other weekend.
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