Summer has officially begun, which means you’re probably living it up by the pool, zipping around on roller coasters or racking up your credit card balance at the local mall. And that’s all well and good until the bills for all your summer fun come in the mail and you’re left wondering, “How am I going to pay for all this stuff?”

That’s a great question. And here’s a great answer: Get a job. But not just any job. All the pleasantries of summer also bring really fun jobs where you can make money and still enjoy the time you have off from school—or at the very least, get a great tan. Below you’ll find a list of the top five summer jobs that don’t require a lot of experience and come with some great benefits. So put down the remote and take off your shades long enough to read up on how to score some major green.

• Lifeguard. Lifeguards get to hang out in the sun and get a nice summer glow while interacting with the public every day. You can usually expect to receive free admission to the pool when you’re not on duty, and maybe even a couple passes for guests. And you can’t beat a cold ice cream sandwich from the snack bar at the end of your shift. Just make sure to load up on SPF—“lobster red” isn’t a color you want to sport at summer social events this year.

• Retail associate. In retail jobs, you can beat the heat in an air conditioned environment, and probably get to see your buddies shopping around as well. You’ll be the first to discover this summer’s latest fashions by taking a peek at merchandise in the stock room before it hits the floor. And the real perk? Most retailers offer an employee discount, so you can stock up on flip-flops and beach cover-ups to wear when you’re off the clock for way less dough.

• Restaurant employee. Whether you’re greeting and seating guests or taking orders and serving, restaurant jobs are great for all you people-persons out there. No chance of sunburn here—you can enjoy a climate-controlled work environment with coworkers your age to keep you entertained. Keep your customers’ stomachs full and their faces smiling, and you can usually expect a nice tip to line your pockets. Not to mention, most restaurants give their workers free or discounted meals, so dig in.

• Bartender. If you’re going to be at the bar anyway, why not get paid for it? Have fun while taking orders and mixing cocktails, and collect tips to buy drinks for all your friends. Just kidding. Speaking of friends, with bartender jobs you can join them as soon as your shift is over to enjoy the rest of your night on the other side of the bar.

• Camp counselor. Do you like to be outdoors, play games all day and roast marshmallows by a campfire at night? We thought so. Camp counselors are like older siblings who get to play with younger kids and participate in fun activities like the balloon toss, Marco Polo and macaroni art. You’ll get tons of exercise and even more arts and crafts to bring home at the end of the summer for your refrigerator door. Mom will be so proud.

There you have it—the top five summer jobs you can’t afford to miss out on. Now all you have to do is turn off the cartoons and get out there to apply before summer’s over. So grab your favorite sunglasses and start your summer job search now.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Hot jobs, Jobs, Work, Careers, Seasonal & summer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.