Five Popular, Low-Key Summer Jobs

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, summer jobs are a great way to keep yourself entertained in those long weeks where you finally have no responsibilities. But they don’t always have to be a bummer. Here are some summer jobs that actually won’t suck the life out of you.

1. Selling Knives

Yes, this sounds a little weird, but working as a door-to-door knife salesman is super popular among college kids. The Cutco company will hire anyone who applies, from anywhere in the country. The best part about Cutco is that you can choose your own hours and work with people you already know. Plus it’s a cool way to meet your neighbors and get $15 for talking to them for less than an hour. 

2. Lifeguarding

Working at a community pool, lake or at the beach is a great if you want to spend your summer outside. You’ll get a tan, meet some new friends and learn some valuable skills like CPR.

3. Summer Camp Counselor

If you’d rather spend your summer away from home, being a camp counselor is relatively painless if you’re assigned to work with older kids. Plus you meet other counselors your own age and get free (albeit sometimes gross) food and a place to stay. If you loved the movie Wet, Hot, American Summer then I’d suggest giving this a try. And it’s not too late! You can still apply for camp sessions that start in late July/early August!

4. Baseball Umpire

If you love baseball, this is a perfect way to get paid for watching a game. Travel and tournament teams will play the whole summer and will pay up to $25 a game (maybe more). Caution: you’ll probably have to deal with parents that are total jerks and will criticize your every call.

5. Ice Cream Parlor

If you don’t want to spend your summer outside in the heat, a job at an ice cream parlor is the perfect way to stay cool. Not only is it significantly colder inside of a store that is primarily made of freezers, but you get to eat free ice cream. Not to mention it’s easy to learn and pretty stress free.