By Marcus LeGrand | The Broadside (Contact: [email protected])

Many of you are probably scratching your head and asking: “what am I going to do for work this summer?”

While others are looking for employment, others are looking to use summer break as a great time to have fun, hitting popular vacation spots and hanging out with family and friends.  

But often, summer jobs are a great opportunity to make some extra cash. More and more college students choose to spend their summers doing something productive nowadays. The issue arises, though, when college students don’t construct a plan to tackle the situation.  

I want to offer the average student at Central Oregon Community College a few ideas for employment options that may benefit them this coming summer.

Waitressing or bartending is a probable job choice for most students looking for work. It’s the perfect job for those who love meeting people and improve your communication and problem-solving skills. With Bend being a resort town during the summer, it will improve your opportunity to find suitable work.  

Others looking to the great outdoors can find work in landscaping, in the forestry service, or at farms that are looking for extra help. These opportunities can be easily managed because in these fields, the job responsibilities vary according to the employer. Most of the time it involves driving equipment around, arranging gardens, and other manual labor jobs.  

If you love working with your hands and are willing to work long hours, many construction company and engineering firms are looking for individuals who have the manual skills, who are attentive, and precise at their work for summer construction jobs. Most of the time, these jobs are some the best paying summer you can land.  

Students with patience and great phone demeanor can look for a job as a customer service representative. Dealing with demanding customers daily can become a hassle at times, but it does pay very well for a summer job.

At COCC, you can visit the job board located on the college’s website, visit local employment agencies who are looking for temporary or seasonal applicants, or visit the Workforce Oregon website to look for part-time or full-time employment opportunities.  

If you are from out of town or are from Central Oregon, don’t be afraid to ask parents, family friends, or mentors what did they do for summer employment to give you insight on what may be available. It’s not a bad idea to ask those same people if their company or organizations they work for are looking to hire summer help.

If you have not taken the time to find summer work, there is no time like the present to start looking.

For any comments or questions, contact me at [email protected] ■