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The Quest for a Summer Job
"I had the option of
working at Starbucks for decent pay, or helping to protest them at a
non-profit organization for only a small stipend."
By Nicole Hsiang
 Now that I am a graduate of high school and facing four
years of higher education at a private university in Connecticut, my
next priority right now is to find a job. I had waited until the summer
to find one; schoolwork, final exams, and goofing off with friends was
taking too much of my time during the school year. But I had assumed
that a temporary summer job would be so easy to find.
There were "help wanted" signs in the window of every
Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Gap, or Noah's Bagels. I completed applications
that pretty much asked for the exact same basic things: name and age,
work experience, availability, and references (and Starbucks asked what
I like best about coffee and why). And then to my surprise, stores
didn't call me back. Interviews were unsuccessful. I realized that the
job hunt was a greater challenge than I had imagined.
The main
challenge that I am facing is the fact that I am 17 and not 18. In one
prospective job at the Olive Garden, an Italian restaurant, I had a
promising interview in which the manager almost handed me the job. But
then he took one final glance over my application and frowned at my
birth date. Apparently, there is a California state law which states
that teenagers under the age of 18 must be home by 10 o'clock in the
evening. Therefore, the manager at Olive Garden was reluctant to give me
a job because he needed employees to work overtime if necessary. I left
the restaurant where "when you're here, you're family,"
feeling more like an unwanted stranger.
After an hour of
wasting my time at the interview, I asked for an application at the
nearby Urban Outfitters, a trendy clothing store. And, you guessed it.
They do not hire anyone under 18. When I was 16, I wanted to be 17 so I
could see an R-rated movie. Now at 17, I want a good paying job.
Another factor in the challenge to find a job is my lack of
experience. This also confuses me, because how am I going to obtain
experience if I don't have any in the first place? The fact that I am a
quick and eager learner is somehow insignificant. As of now, I don't
have experience in retail, waiting tables, sales, or cashiering. In my
job history, I have been a docent at a museum for three years. Sure,
working at the museum has been a most educational and meaningful
experience, but these skills are not what the other places are looking
for.
I began to question if I really wanted to work at some of
the places I was looking into. Starbucks is a perfect example. I don't
drink coffee and I had to lie on the application about why I wanted to
work there so much — a bad sign. I don't admire Rachel on
"Friends" and actually pitied her for having to serve coffee
all day to make a living in New York City.
A job that actually
interested me was an internship at an environmental non-profit
organization. I would be writing for their newsletter and helping put
together their website. The hours were good and the staffed seemed
friendly, so why didn't I immediately ask for an interview? I hate to
say this, but the reason why is that the pay was minimal. I am — or
thought I was — completely against basing my life decisions on
money and doing things "just for the money." I had the option
of serving coffee to yuppies at Starbucks and making decent pay, or
helping to protest them at a non-profit organization for only a small
stipend. I opted for neither. As desperate and needy as I am for a job,
I won't take one where I'm not satisfied in all aspects.
So
right now, I am still looking for the right job. I have interviews all
next week, emails to respond to, messages to return. Looking for a job
has already felt like work. In the meantime, I continue to stay out late
with my friends and drive my parents crazy by being lazy and
teenager-like; after all, it is summer.
— Nicole Hsiang is
an intern for Youth In Control. She will be going to the East Coast for
college this fall.
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