Once again fall, winter and spring have passed, and it is time for summer. The past term has been horribly stressful for many with distance learning periods and coming back to school again. On top of our regular school stress, for me, the question of whether or not I was going to get a summer job has been nerve-racking.
In our society, it's expected of us that we get a job for the summer so that we won't become lazy and depend on our parents for money.
The words “I will not look at you sleeping till 4 pm every day during the summer” have been heard in my family more than once. With the ongoing pandemic, getting a job hasn’t been as simple as one might think. There are fewer places, more applicants and only so many companies hiring.
After writing many applications and receiving multiple rejections, I started wondering about other people. How many of them got a job? Was it easy? Where did they get a job from? I sent in a survey to our school’s students and asked them to answer a couple of questions about their summer jobs, and whether or not the pandemic has affected their summer plans. Around 64% of those who answered got a job for the summer, 34% did not or did not apply, and 2% were unsure.
The most common summer jobs revolved around the food industry with different places everywhere from cafés, restaurants and ice cream stands. Other stores such as a second-hand store and camps were also popular. Even a couple of self-employed people were found.
When the general mood about working during the summer was asked, the answers were very conflicted. Many were excited to have something to do for the summer and to earn a little bit of extra money, others were less enthusiastic. As a self-proclaimed overachiever when it comes to school, I understand the lack of enthusiasm when it comes to working during the summer. For me, summer is my time off from school, when I don’t have to think about deadlines. Hence why it is more than understandable that working during the summer isn’t ideal.
However, not getting a summer job is a dreadful feeling for many. As teenagers, we use a lot of money but have only a few sources of income. Only a few have a job along the side of school because school schedules are stressful and time-consuming and there simply is not enough time for everything. The rest of us have to rely on saving possible allowances, birthday and Christmas presents, and if lucky, summer job income. With this money, we fund our habits of eating out, hanging out with friends, along with other activities.
Those who didn’t get a job this summer generally felt disappointed and annoyed because of the money and the lost possibility of work experiences. Others, namely our ABI students, were in higher spirits because of the matriculation exams. “Pretty ok. I would have liked to have a job, but on the other hand, I acknowledged that I probably wouldn’t have managed with studying for the yo-exams, so this is ok. Of course, it would have been fun to make some money and get some experience but mental health is most important”.
Searching for summer jobs was not any more fruitful than last year. There were only a small number of even slightly interesting jobs and many companies took fewer than 10 people. After several rejections, I understood quickly that perhaps this year was not it for me. Still keeping my hopes up that I can manage to get something, I’m not going to stress this summer too much. With the pandemic ruining many plans, I’m not mad about the rejections.
Summer is a good time to do everything that I couldn’t during school: experimenting with new looks, travelling, meeting up with friends and picking up new hobbies. Personally, my summer will most likely be filled with listening to Måneskin’s music, swimming, eating good food and going on adventures.
Finally! You did it. You’re at the end of both this column and the school year. You made it. To the ABIs, I wish you good luck with your studies, and to the 9th graders, I hope to see you all back in Kulosaari in the fall.
For all, it is time for me to wish you all a wonderful summer. See you next year! (or not)
Teksti: Daniela Wärnhjelm