Summer Job

We think of a summer job as a time to earn a little money for school and as a time to pick up some experience.

But what if a summer job is an early indicator of what we will do later in life?

One of my summer jobs was working at a non-profit called Senior Link. 

This was a fun experience. 

I worked with three other students. We would travel to seniors’ houses in the local community and perform chores that the seniors wanted to have done.  We would do things like cut the grass, wash the floor, paint a fence, etc.

We formed relationships with our clients, so much so that a senior would ask for a particular student by name to come to their house.

I liked the helping aspect of my summer job as well as working on a team.

It goes without saying that I enjoyed interacting with my clients. I had a lot of patience then and I still do.

It’s interesting to connect what we did at a summer job to what we do later in life:

Client group – At Senior Link my client group was seniors. I didn’t think that I would be working with seniors again (as HR works with all age groups); however, in my current role at the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations, I am working with a client group of people in the upper age bracket. You just never know.

Servant’s Mentality – A part of having a servant’s mentality is that you want to pitch in and do any task that is required. No task is “beneath” you. At Senior Link I performed tasks like washing the floor or cutting the grass. At Combined Insurance, I loved to work with colleagues and help move tables and chairs (from inside the office to the outside parking lot) for the company BBQ. At Neighbourhood Link I mopped the floor to prevent slips and falls. It seems like I’ve always had a servant’s mentality.

Neighbourhood Link – I loved volunteering at Neighbourhood Link. After I joined this agency, I learned that it used to be known as Senior Link! Volunteering at Neighbourhood Link helped me to get the job at the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations because both involve interacting with job seekers. 

When I was a job seeker, in thinking about where my job niche might be, I only thought about my most recent roles and applied mostly to HR roles. I never thought to look as far back as a summer job to gain an indication of where my next role could come from.  Sometimes it just helps to connect the dots and think about all parts of your working life (including your summer jobs) to find your particular job niche.  

Originally Published on LinkedIn:  November 27, 2016

Image Credit:  Pixabay