Summer jobs

[Jen12]

I'm a teacher and I have summers off. This past summer, I applied at a few places and never heard back. It was getting really tight money-wise and I can't really afford to keep taking the time off every year. I've been thinking of jobs that I can do for the short-term. There's temping, but that's not very reliable, and having come from a corporate background, I know how flaky companies are about temps. And I'd just as soon not be directly responsible for kids at a summer camp or preschool. Love them, but a break is good.

So, I thought Disneyland might be fun. Would it be embarrassing to work there at my age (late thirties) with a bunch of teenagers on summer vacation? I'm sure there are plenty of behind the scenes jobs in addition to things like merchandise clerks and ride operators...taking care of costumes might be interesting, although I'm sure you probably go wherever they put you.

A friend suggested that I would be somehow downgrading my college graduate professional status by taking a low paying job like this. I disagree. A job is a job and money is money. For a two-month period, I'm not likely to find a high paying job with a lot of responsibility, and since for ten months out of the year I'm in a very intense job, something like Disney might be a fun distraction, right?

What do you think?

[bmccasland]

A job is a job, and it can't hurt to apply. Summer will be the busy season, so you may not get a break from kids, or adults acting childish. Are you in the Los Angeles area, or will you need to find housing too?

[Jen12]

I live about a half-hour away, so it's a viable commute to the park. I'm not looking for a total break from kids - just a break from total responsiblity for them, lol...I'm not sure you can get away from adults acting like children anywhere these days.

[jelee1311]

If you need the money and it seems fun, go for it.

[Koronin]

A job is a job. Someone I knew in college actually got a summer job at Disney World and loved it. She did need housing there and they provided housing for those who where there from other parts of the country. She was a life guard at one of the hotel pools for the summer she worked there. (She's from Ohio and actually still lives in Ohio, but loved the summer she spent working at Disney). I think your living within a commute would make it a bit better for you financially though.

[channlluv]

My BFF works at Hollywood Studios (part of DisneyWorld in Orlando) and she's, golly, about to turn 50 and she loves it. I don't think age is an issue as much as your attitude, and if you like Disney, you'll probably like working there.

As an aside, nearly every time I visit Disney and buy something at one of the stores, the clerks ask me if I work there -- the employee discount is pretty good. I've got a Disney face.

I say go for it. At worst, you could have a fun summer job blog about it.

Roxy

[Anelia]

I'm also a teacher and I've tought about having a summer job. I haven't been able to find one but I wasn't very persistent, too. But when I definitely wanted it to be something without responsibility, something for fun. You just need a break. I wanted to distribute flyers or promote something in stores: just stand and smile and offer people to try a new brand of something. Also I wouln't mind doing something manual or in agriculture: picking fruit or vegetables. I've done this and the feeling when you are tired is so different from the tired from teaching or doing something mind obssessing. When I used to work manual labour, I went home tired, took a shower and then became brand new and relaxed. I went out to pubs and enjoyed. Well, I was younger then, maybe that is also a factor.
Good luck and keep trying. Have something for fun, don't look for big jobs, big money or big responsibilities.

[Crankin]

I taught for 31 years and only had a summer job once, when I was about 25; I worked at a department store. They hired me on a permanent part time basis and then I just quit at the end of the summer. I hated it. Even then, after having some modicum of control over what went on in my classroom and feeling like a professional, I just couldn't handle my supervisors nit picking about things that were essentially stupid. And, the job was boring. Teachers make hundreds of decisions a day in the course of their work and I just didn't like being in a job where all of my decisions were essentially controlled by someone else. So, I guess I agree with your friends.
A few years later I became a certified fitness instructor and taught in gyms before school and after. So, for about ten years, I did this in the summer and often volunteered to sub more. That was fine and I enjoyed working with adults!
Have you considered tutoring? You choose how much you work and the going rate around here is 50-100 dollars an hour. If you don't want to bother developing a client base, you can work for one of the bigger agencies, although you don't get as much money.

[ehirsch83]

I have a friend who is a teacher and goes out to Wyoming in the summer to work on a guest ranch!

And another who works for Whole Foods in the summer and also as holiday help throughout the year..