This summer, why don’t you get a job?

Gone are the days when children languished in front of the TV screen, whiling away their vacation. In the new Mumbai the get-up-and-go attitude is gripping the youth. Yogita Rao and Priya Ramakrishnan report on a growing trend

Neil Satra, a student at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Bandra, is searching for a job with a non-governmental organisation in the city, this summer. While summer jobs at NGOs are not unusual, what makes Satra's case different is his age.

The boy is just 14-years-old and he already wants to be a philanthropist. Satra, however, is not the only student in search of a summer job at a tender age; others are swiftly climbing aboard the summer job bandwagon.

To Gen Y vacations have become more than just about sunning on some beach or cavorting at a theme park. Now they involve a flurry of activity that will eventually provide stepping stones to a successful career. An increasing numbers of students in the age group of 13 to 18 are looking for voluntary jobs in the social service sector.
"I can volunteer for NGOs, however, my interest lies with an NGO working with animals in particular," said Satra.

"It will not only keep me active during summer, but also gain me brownie points on my CV. It is really helpful in an international curriculum," he added. According to Satra, a number of his friends are also signing up to volunteer with NGOs like Peta.

Manju Srivastava from the Ecole Mondiale World School in Juhu, said, "Our school allots us marks for community service. However, we continue with the work during our vacations.

Earlier, some students went to Gujarat for their community service. If we are getting paid for the job that we do in summer, we give it away to charity. There are many organisations that work with street children, animals, and for Aids awareness, and most of the students join them during summer.

We build up a relation with them during our schooldays and we continue to nurture it during our vacations." Some students from these schools also conduct workshops on their own, and raise money for charity.

But this summer philanthropy isn't the domain of school students. Only collegians are joining in. A number of collegians are looking for summer jobs in their area of specialisation. With most of the colleges in the city running successful placement cells, it is not difficult to find a summer job.

Pratibha Pai, the in-charge for placement at HR College, in Churchgate, said, "Our students who have opted for advertising in SYBA have already been placed with major advertising firms. It is either interning with the creative team, or the marketing team. We recommend six to eight weeks of internship or summer jobs." Students are being offered summer certificate courses by the college.

Some students are even going out into the wild world of business on their own, this summer. "My classmate has launched her own dance classes. Now she is getting paid for training kids in different dance styles," said Nitesh Malkani, an SYBCom student.
Students in the final year of university, however, are complaining about the lack of permanent jobs. 

Although Zainab Bagasrawala, a TYBA student from KC College, is appearing for her final year exams, she will still be considered an undergraduate until she acquires her passing certificate in June. "I have already applied to some call centres and firms who have field survey projects. Many firms have already rejected my application for a full-time job. We are still looked on as undergraduates."
r_yogita@dnaindia.net, r_priya@dnaindia.net