
NEW DELHI, April 27: Summer holidays are different for Sarika Chandra this time. Apart from watching television and having long chats with friends, the Amity International School student is spending four hours a day at Domino8217;s at Saket. She8217;s not tucking into a pizza or chilling out with friends 8212; she has found a summer job there.
After taking her Board examinations, Chandra wanted to do a job that will let her hang around PVR Anupam and take time out to have an icecream at Baskin Robins. Along with her friends, Sangeet and Akresh, she called up the manager of Domino8217;s restaurant at Saket and fixed up an interview.
8220;I asked him if I could join Domino8217;s for a summer job. He wanted me to first visit the restaurant and take a look at the stores. Both my friends and I liked the place. So, we joined the Domino8217;s temporary staff,8221; says Chandra.
All three of them are now working with the Customer Service Department at the restaurant. 8220;We don8217;t have to put in too much work here. When a customer calls, we have to greet him/her and ask what he/she wants to have, take down the order and pass it to the kitchen. Four hours of work, and fun for the rest of the day,8221; they say.
There are many students like them who spend their holidays this way. Some of them are just out of school, the others are still in college and all of them don8217;t want to waste their summer holidays. They want to have fun, make money and gain experience 8212; all at the same time.
8220;Summer jobs fetch around Rs 3,000-4,000 per month. I think it8217;s okay 8212; When you are just out of school, how much can you expect to earn, anyway?8221; asks Devdutt Mishra who has taken up a summer job at an icrecream parlour.
Suparna Gupta, a second year Mathematics honours student at Miranda House, believes in working at intervals through the summer months so that there is enough time to relax. 8220;I don8217;t want to slog through my summer vacation,8221; says Gupta. 8220;Therefore, I have not taken up a regular summer job. Instead, I have tied up with an agency that recruits people for working at exhibitions.8221;
Gupta has enrolled at Hem Associates in Greater Kailash. The agency recruits people for exhibitions and promotional activities and boasts of clients like Hero Honda, Hitachi and the Korean and Japanese Trade Centre.
She is looking forward to working for various exhibitions at Pragati Maidan. 8220;Last summer, I had worked with a number of exhibitions. I made anything between Rs 350-700 per day. I prefer working at exhibitions for the exposure it provides. It is a great way to improve one8217;s communication skills. Moreover, I like wearing the outfits the company provides,8221; she says. Some of them register their names with temporary placement agencies so that it helps them in choosing a career.
Neeti Arora, a student of Maitreyi college, says: 8220;My friends and I were strolling around at the college when we met two persons from a temporary placement agency who were visiting various colleges to recruit people.8221; Today, Arora works as a secretary at a business house in Nehru Place. 8220;My job contract with this firm is temporary. But it will help me get a permanent job later,8221; she says.