When classes let out, students want to find work. Often times, seasonal hours are offered for this population and there are many opportunities out there specifically for youngsters that require little or no experience and are a good way to pass your summer.
In Miami, many students work at camps or day care programs. Since summer is a time when many kids are displaced, parents usually like to have something for them to do. This is where many day camps come in. These usually pay minimum wage and require no experience. They tend to hire people who are willing to work with kids and enjoy doing so. This is a fun summer job prospect for many students. It can be part time or full time depending on where you work. You get to do outdoorsy things and make friends with other teenagers doing the same. You’re essentially babysitting a big group of kids. The good thing about this job is that if you stick with it summer after summer, you can apply to a supervising position at the camp, which will be the same type of work and pay slightly better. Similar to this is supervising pools. Many park pools around the city open up to the public in the summer. Usually they will hire lifeguards who make very good money. However, you have to be licensed to do this. These jobs are available everywhere, especially in the summer time. You can work through a private company or at a local park or school. You can apply for these jobs from newspaper ads or by stopping by one of these locations to see if they are hiring. Since parks are state owned, the city website usually has information on these jobs.
Other part time jobs include traditional food service or store clerk jobs. These places are always hiring because employees tend to come and go all the time. They also hire young hip teens, which is perfect. The malls are always a good place to find work in Miami. You can apply at a small boutique store or a large retailer. Here you are likely to get slightly above minimum wage. Though some stores, like Nordstrom or Victoria’s Secret could get you up to $8 or $9 dollars an hour. Usually they require that you work part time in these establishments because if you work full time, they have to give you benefits. This is good for a student who doesn’t want to spend the entire summer working.
Restaurants are another common student summer job option. If you are outgoing and friendly, you would do well at a restaurant. This is a common summer job for a lot of teens. Most people don’t want to wait tables for very long so this is a good short term job. Here you will fetch below minimum wage an hour but you will end up making a lot more in tips. Depending on how good you are and on the hours you work, you could end up making well above minimum wage. Often times, the best hours to work are afternoons especially weekends because that is when people like to go out to dinner. Jobs in retail or at a restaurant can be applied for in person, and increasingly online. It is often good to follow up an online application with a call or a visit, because these usually get lost in the shuffle unless you show real interest.
Another great option, especially for older students is temping. Miami is a huge city with tons of companies so there is never a lack of need for temps. To apply, you go to a temp agency like Careers USA and apply and interview. They will set you up with companies looking for people with your skills. This could range from covering for someone who is on vacation and could last a few days, weeks or even the entire summer. The positions are sometimes part time and sometimes full time and they are all generally very well paid from $9 to $13 dollars an hour. Most of these jobs are in offices and require business attire. Again, when applying at a temp agency, it is good to follow up after a few days if they haven’t contacted you. Usually when one job ends, they line another one up.
These are just some of the student summer job options available in Miami. There are always more than that. It’s just a matter of looking.
