Starting to think about summer opportunities—and already lost?

Dear Leah and Morgan,

I’ve started thinking about getting a summer job, and I’m not sure where to turn. I have to do an internship for one of my minors, and my adviser suggested I do it over the summer. My parents want me to find a job that I can use to help pay my rent next year and practice money management … blah, blah, blah. I’ve been going to the same camp for years and I want to keep working there next year. I don’t want to be selfish but I really miss my camp friends and I

had an amazing time last summer. It really does look good on a resume because I’m a specialist and I’ve gotten a lot of leadership experience out of it, but I don’t want to disappoint my parents and my adviser. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Confused Counselor

Dear Confused,

First of all, we’re both camp kids, so we completely understand your attachment! Camp is a place where a lot of us have grown up and we know how important that experience can be to shaping a person’s identity.

That said, there comes a summer in everyone’s life when they decide not to return to their home away from home. You just need to decide if this is that summer for you.

Weighing your options

As you said, getting a job that pays well will help you with finances for next year. Money isn’t everything, however, especially if your summer job won’t make or break your budget for next semester. Look over your financial options with your parents to see if that’s the case. Make a list of all the factors, and give each factor a rating between one and 10 for your three options.

The case for an internship

Internships are the ultimate resume builder. You’ll have the opportunity to try out a field before you commit to it, gain experience, make connections in the professional world and you might even be able to turn it into a full-time job after college. Better yet, you might even be able to find a paid internship and kill three birds with one stone (including your minor requirement).

The case for a job

To be clear, we’re distinguishing between an internship in a field you might be interested in and a job that, while supplementing your income, won’t really give you the experience you’re looking for. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a job that does! If not, you’ll still be assured a steady income and be less likely to need to work (or at least as hard) during the fall semester.

The case for camp

You might be interested in a USA Today College opinion column, “Skip the internship, go to camp.” If you choose the camp job, you can share it with your parents. Williams College junior Darryl Brown points out all the benefits of a camp counselor job: customer interaction, ensuring the long- and short-term success of the business, and learning critical skills that will help in any later job.

Remember: you have the rest of your life to be responsible. We’re not biased, but it does seem to us that a camp job, especially at sleep-away camp where your outflow of cash is next to nothing, might be your best option, combining valuable work experience, money and the best summer ever.

Best of luck deciding!

Peace, Love and Great Advice,

Leah and Morgan

Have questions that you want answered by the lovely ladies of The Hoot? Submit your questions to advice@thebrandeishoot.com or at formspring.me/leahandmorgan! They will be answered by Leah Finkelman ’13, Features Editor, and Morgan Gross ’14, Impressions Editor. We’re so excited to hear your questions!