I could be overreacting or I could just be starting to realize that summer is approaching fast and furious. Having a summer job is a custom almost every college student has grown to know, whether it is a fun job or not.

This year, I applied to the company that I have worked at for the past two years, so I assumed I would have a job. The past two summers I was doing work that had absolutely nothing to do with what I am studying in school – as many summer jobs do.

I wanted this summer to be different. It is my last chance to work in a summer student position and I wanted to make the most of it.

I didn’t want to be stuck doing something that won’t benefit me because really, you only get to have those “summer student mistakes” when you’re a summer student.

Employers tend to not be as lenient when you don’t understand or need a task to be explained more than once when you are a full-time employee with a university or college degree.

I want to learn and have the chance to make mistakes without losing my job. As a  student, unless I make a mistake where I blow up the computers or erase all the files in the entire company, they will usually be more forgiving.

But, I don’t want to learn how to properly enter data into a computer that is irrelevant to journalism or change street addresses for 7.25 hours a day, five days a week – I want to learn how to properly communicate with clients, write stories, create advertisements and more.

The position that I applied to at the company where I worked my past two summers, would give me the chance to do just that. However, I didn’t get the job – I was underqualified. As a student, I knew that but, it was still disappointing.

Since I discovered that I didn’t get the job, I have been on a crazy job hunt. Applying everywhere, probably almost going a little insane about it, but a girl’s got to eat.

So far, I have heard back from one, not through sending out a resume, but from LinkedIn. I’ve had an account for a while now, but I have never really been that active with it.

After talking to a veteran communication specialist, I learned how important of a tool LinkedIn actually was. So, I beefed up my page and started making more connections and in the end it is starting to work out for me – fingers crossed of course.

Right now, I am just sitting and waiting to hear back from one of the many places I applied to, because honestly, working at a McDonalds is not how I want to spend my last summer as a student or summer in general.

BECKY HILKER

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