Summer break gives students a chance to explore different career fields while earning income. This summer, many students in Santa Monica and Los Angeles are using their time off to get a taste of the working world through jobs in corporate settings, food service and local organizations.
While summer jobs have long been a way for teens to earn money, many students are now emphasizing experience and insight as they look for positions. Their jobs show how seasonal work can serve as both a paycheck and a stepping stone toward long-term goals.
Motivations vary by student. Sydney Rodstrom took a job at Cartwheeling Cuties, a gymnastics program for young children, to see the sport from the coaching side rather than as an athlete. She said the supportive environment made the job appealing.
"The environment was super supportive, and my coworkers are all really kind. And it was definitely a change from how I grew up doing gymnastics. It was much more welcoming and supportive of all different kinds of kids... I'd only seen the gymnast side of it, and I wanted to try the coaching part, and it was definitely very helpful," Rodstrom said.
Many students start the application process online, submitting applications through a company's website before moving to interviews. Once hired, students under 18 must obtain a work permit from their school. Other students said they landed jobs through recommendations from friends.
Training requirements vary by job. Sasha Shiri, a barista at Makenna Koffee, said she completed training days, earned a food handler's certificate and took a sexual harassment prevention course before starting paid work. Rodstrom's training was informal, given her years of experience in gymnastics.
A typical workday looks different for each student, depending on their position and the job's demands. Weekly hours range from six to more than 12.
Rodstrom works two three-hour shifts a week, each one physically active as she leads children through drills, activities and crafts.
At Target, Taylor Summers handles high customer volume and a range of tasks, including checkout, returns and stocking shelves. Depending on her availability, she works four-hour half shifts or eight-hour full shifts.
As a barista, Shiri prepares coffee, takes food orders, restocks inventory and handles in-store and drive-through orders. She works about 12 hours a week over three shifts.
First-time employees are bound to run into challenges. In customer-facing roles, frustrations can build quickly.
Summers said staying calm is the hardest part of the job, especially with difficult customers.
"The hardest part is keeping your cool when people are being completely unreasonable and annoying — especially when they're trying to return something with no receipt, no card, no proof of purchase, and you're just enforcing Target's policy," Summers said.
She added that when a situation escalates, she defers to her supervisors.
For Rodstrom, the biggest challenge is helping kids manage their frustration when they struggle to master a new skill — an experience she said has sharpened her adaptability and problem-solving skills.
The work also comes with rewards. Shiri said she takes satisfaction in seeing her own progress.
"A rewarding part is seeing my progress — memorizing orders, learning the recipes better, and seeing customers happy with the drinks I made," Shiri said.
As the school year approaches, students' schedules will shift to make room for classwork and extracurriculars. But the communication and people-management skills gained from these first jobs will carry beyond the summer — whether students stay in customer service or move into different careers, the lessons in teamwork and relationship-building remain valuable for both their professional and personal lives.
Sophia Friedman, Special to the Daily Press