Students taking up summer jobs

The summer break is an opportunity to make money for a number of class 12 students in the city. They have given up holidaying to take on roles in food and retail businesses. These gigs aren’t part of their coursework — they have taken them up voluntarily to gain real-world experience and new skills.

Many found these opportunities through school alumni networks, job vacancy flyers, or by directly approaching businesses. The stipends of the students Metrolife spoke to ranged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 8,000.

Poojashree R, a commerce student, has just completed a part-time job at a cafe in Bannerghatta. A regular at the café, she offered to help when she
saw they were short-staffed. Over a month, she handled tasks from waiting tables to cleaning the kitchen. “It felt good to do something productive during the holidays and have a routine,” she says. Plus, it gave her insight into customer behaviour and how to resolving issues.

Vishwajith G B, another commerce student, is currently working as a part-time cashier at a supermarket in Gottigere. He took this up because he didn’t want to “waste time sitting at home”. “The job keeps me busy. It’s taught me to be patient and manage time better. And I have met so many people,” he says.

Classmates Smayana S B, Shayeri Dutta, and Anushka Bakshi are interning at a bakery and gifting company in J P Nagar. They are students of humanities.

Smayana works in the marketing team, helping the brand grow its social media presence and find new clients. “I want to pursue a degree in marketing in college, so I thought I would see what it’s really like,” she says. Her schedule is packed — with early morning swims, a long commute, and a full day at the office — but she says “it’s worth it.”

Shayeri is interning in the sales management team. “I walked in clueless, but now I feel I can handle real-world work. I understand how teams function and the value of small tasks,” she says.

Anushka took on the role of a pastry assistant because she loves baking. “I am learning how things work in a real bakery. One day I might open my own,” she says.

Ved Mehta, who has just finished pre-university, is looking for opportunities to assist in civic governance. He has previously contributed to voter awareness campaigns and tracked development across city wards. He is a commerce student who “loves how cities are designed”.