We love jobs. We love summer jobs, and we love after-school jobs. We love part-time jobs, and we love seasonal jobs. We advise nearly all of our students to get a summer job that pays real money to do real work, as opposed to an internship — which is also good but different. Many colleges even prioritize applicants who have real-world work experience, so getting a job pays you at work and in the college admissions process. Because of this, a summer job is nearly always a great topic for a college essay.
Below, we’ll break down how to write about a summer job for your college essay including the do’s and do not’s in making the most of your employment in your college application process.
If you’re wondering what to write your college essay about, send us an email. We help students put together outstanding applications to earn acceptance to their dream schools.
Mundane Isn’t Bad
When you’re writing about a job, having had an objectively mundane, repetitive, or (dare we say) ‘boring’ job isn’t a bad thing. First, it’s relative. What one person finds monotonous another may find thrilling. Scooping ice cream, for example. On one side, it’s the same thing over and over (and over) again. On the other side, isn’t scooping ice cream!!!!!!! It’s every kid’s dream job!
If what you did at work was repetitive and you don’t have a killer customer experience story to tell — and even if you do — you can focus on the patterns of the job. Always doing the same thing the same way is akin to a surgeon doing the same operation over and over. Yes, we just compared scooping ice cream to surgery, and we’re not taking it back.
It can also be useful to spotlight a relationship from your job, like with a co-worker, boss, or customer. It can be a relationship that developed over time, or it can be a one-time interaction that made a deep impact on you. The point in all of this isn’t to make yourself look important, it’s to show that you know what it is to work hard.
A Round Gift
If you currently have a job, have worked previously, or are preparing to get to work, it’s important to write down your experiences as you never know what may become a story. A few years ago, a student of ours was at her summer job in a toy store on Long Island when a customer asked her to gift wrap a ball. Not a ball in a box, a ball. And the customer didn’t want a bag with tissue paper — she wanted it gift wrap. This immediately posed a problem. The customer is always right (within reason), but how do you wrap an orb?!
The student tried her best, but she knew it was rough when she handed it over to the customer…who promptly handed it back. Dissatisfied with the result, she asked the student to do it again. Talk about a humbling moment that would challenge anyone to keep their ego in check. It was a tough day, but it turned into an amazing college essay.
So, write down what you experience, and keep a record of the things that invigorate, inspire, or frustrate you. All of those feelings are valid, and they can all turn into killer college essays whether you work at a toy store, for a landscaping company, or as a summer lifeguard.
Writing about a job works for any major, any school, any subject, and nearly any type of student. What summer jobs show are a willingness to work hard no matter the task, which is exactly what you’ll need to practice to succeed at the collegiate level.
If you’re preparing to apply to college but don’t know how to present yourself, send us an email. We help students unlock their perfect application.