Summer jobs 8212; Not just about quick bucks and fun

Saumya Thakur, a 1st year Electronics student, says he8217;s gaining valuable experience of the hospitality industry from his eight hours a day at Pizza Hut. And at the end of the month he carries home a cool Rs 3,000 to show for it.

At Dominoes8217; Pizza, Arts student Prabhakar Singh says, 8220;I want to make my career in hotel management and catering. In just two months here, I8217;ve picked up enough information about the demands and requirements of this industry.8221;

For Amar More, an FYBA student who plans to set up his own restaurant, his managerial and organisational responsibilities at Smokin Joes8217; are an invaluable experience.

Even their employers have little to complain about. In fact, when regular employees vanish on extended leaves during summer, these youngsters prove themselves indispensable. Amar was designated manager barely a month after he joined.

Dominoes8217; Pizza offers special summer trainee schemes to encourage students to work part-time at their branches. 8220;We offer Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 to SSC students and to undergraduates fluent in English, we pay Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000,8221; says Ajay Makhija, Deputy Manager of Dominoes. Though this scheme is not as popular in Pune as compared to Delhi or Bombay, where there are 15 or 9 branches respectively, Makhija says they are satisfied with their students, who are well-educated, accommodating and quick learners, never complaining about their salaries or work conditions.

8220;But they8217;re not as dedicated to their job as our regulars are,8221; he admits. 8220;Though a sum of Rs 2,000 is substantial for someone fresh out of high school.8221;

While Pizza Hut has no such schemes, every fresh employee has to go through an in-house training programme on work culture. Toman, Assistant Manager, says he is satisfied with their work, but they lack professionalism and maturity. 8220;But we don8217;t expect it either, since they are so young,8221; he says.

Boutiques are attracting those interested in careers in fashion, sales and marketing. Rajesh Menon, just a week old at Benetton, says he8217;s learning how to interact with customers and clinch a sale; and for every sale he earns a percentage as commission, in addition to the Rs 1,000 he earns every month for four hours a day.

Says Sayyed Imran, Manager at Benetton, 8220;We don8217;t recruit anyone above 25 years of age. It8217;s easier to exercise authority over students. Since they have no ego problems, they obey promptly.8221;

However, work experience is not always what prompts students to work their way through the summer. Often their motive is simply 8220;to kill time8221;. 8220;It8217;s the best way to earn a thousand bucks with hardly any effort and also avoid boredom,8221; says Manish Pillai, counter-salesman at the Baker8217;s Basket.

Similarly, when Sharief Sayyed discovered to his alarm that he had 8220;nothing to do8221; these holidays, he took up work at the Smokin Joes8217; 8220;for timepass8221;.

And how do they spend their salaries? The more conscientious of the lot save at least half of their pay packets and spend the rest on their daily expenses. Like Monica Biswas, salesgirl at The Bombay Store, who contributes to supporting her family. 8220;This is the best way to earn and learn at the same time,8221; she says. So does Rajesh, who has never 8220;wasted8221; money he earned on anything other than his daily expenses.

On the other hand, Namita Bhatija at The Spot admits that she8217;s never managed to save any of the Rs 1,500 she earns every month. 8220;I blow it all on clothes and cosmetics,8221; she says. Likewise, Manish uses his salary to play pool and surf the net.

Be it work experience or plain fun, they all agree that its their personality development that8217;s helped them the most. 8220;I used to be painfully shy and withdrawn,8221; admits Namita. 8220;Now I can speak to strangers without fear or hesitation.8221;

Sharief says his job has boosted his confidence and improved his communication skills. 8220;I8217;m more articulate now,8221; he says. Monica says she8217;s mellowed down because of her job. 8220;Earlier, all I did during holidays was waste my parents money on freaking out8217;. My parents are thankful that I8217;ve matured and sobered down now.8221;

A summer job, they say, is also one way to learn to communicate and deal with a wide range of people and even make friends.

But at the end of the day, what they all agree they share in common is the satisfying realisation of financial independence. For whether they are penny-wise or extravagant spendthrifts, they try their best to live within their salaries, and avoid approaching their parents for money for expenses or socialising. As Monica says, 8220;The most important lesson my job taught me, is the value of hard-earned money.8221;