Find out if these jobs are as fun as they seem.
Yeah, yeah, we know: Work isn’t supposed to be fun. But if you’re going to spend your whole summer (or all year) working, you might as well try to have fun on the job. Let’s take a closer look at the fantasy and reality of three fun jobs.
Lifeguarding jobs
The fun job fantasy: You twirl a whistle all day while you watch sunbathing hotties. Occasionally you yell at kids to stop running. After a 20-minute shift in the lifeguard chair, you take a break in the shade and have an ice cream sandwich. By the time your summer job ends, you’ve achieved amazing levels of bronze-ness.
The job reality: Lifeguarding jobs can be really fun if you enjoy the outdoors and you’re social. But a lifeguarding job is much harder than it looks. You’re not just sitting in the chair – you’re scrubbing the tiles, testing the water, sweeping the pool deck, checking ID cards and cleaning the bathrooms (ew).
Of course, safety is still the most important part of a lifeguard job. When you’re in the chair, you can’t take your eyes off the swimmers for an instant – even if a really, really cute person walks by. Saving lives is serious business.
Theme park jobs
The fun job fantasy: You love roller coasters more than anyone else you know. You’ve been to Disneyland 27 times. If you could spend every day of summer vacation at the amusement park, you totally would. So why not get paid to be there with a fun theme park job? You get to work in a cool place and hang out with people your age. Plus, your friends all love you because you have an unlimited supply of free passes.
The job reality: On your first day, your manager hands you a German costume – suspenders, green shorts and a puffy shirt – and a broom. “Smile,” he growls. “If I catch you without a smile on your face, you’re fired.” Welcome to your new theme park job.
Working at a theme park is physically demanding, repetitive, and not as carefree as it might seem. Theme parks are really concerned with their image – they want every guest’s experience to be extraordinary. That means they expect their employees to always, always be friendly, helpful and smiling. That being said, getting a job at a theme park can be great work experience if you’re interested in sales or customer service. And you do get free passes for your friends!
Bartending jobs
The fun job fantasy: Working a bartending job is like partying every single night. You’re flipping bottles and pouring amazing drinks as customers clap and leave monster tips. Your friends love you because you give them half-priced drinks. By the end of the night, you high-five your fellow bartenders and divide up a jar full of cash.
The job reality: Bartending jobs look fun. But tending bar is really, really hard work. You’re on your feet all night. Drunk people are waving credit cards at you, yelling for another cocktail and then “forgetting” to tip. And last call doesn’t mean you’re done. After the last customers clear out, then it’s time to wash glasses, mop sticky floors, and find unpleasant surprises in the bathroom. But if you’re a social person and you have a good sense of humor, bartending can be a really fun job. And the jar full of cash? That’s the sweet reward of a bartending job.
