Different Perspectives: A senior and a freshman contemplate the future
Baby-sitting counts as a 'resume builder,' right? A high-paying job may not be as beneficial as doing something you love
By Laura Becker, contributing writer
Posted on April 27, 2006

I was sitting in the car with my friend and neighbor Sarah Peterson, a senior who will graduate in less than two weeks. She told me about all the weddings she will be attending this summer and how she is excited for the future.

She is going to miss Harrisonburg, her roommates and the Thursday night game nights she invented for her and her friends. She hopes to use the knowledge she gained as a communication studies major combined with her interest in graphic design in her future career.

I’m 19. I want to be a writer. I want to live in Washington, D.C., New York City and Europe. I want to work for the Washington Post Magazine someday. I want to have a study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stuffed with the classics.

Listening to Sarah reminisce about her experiences at JMU only confirms my belief that the day I throw my cap into the air may be closer than I think. She made me aware of the fact that many of the decisions I make now may affect my future, even decisions like how to spend my summer.

A friend of my family often offers neighborhood teenagers a secretarial position at his office in D.C. for the summer. It is a high-paying job that would require long hours and a costly commute. I was tempted to take this job which was filled with great money, steady hours and experience that would look great on my résumé.

However, something was holding me back. For the past four summers, I have regularly baby-sat for the past four summers for a couple of different families. I knew taking the secretary position would mean giving up building forts, creating Play-Doh dolls and watching “Dora the Explorer” all summer.

I love kids, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to give that up for a job answering phones and filing papers. However, the money I made babysitting could not even compare to the amount I would be receiving with the job in D.C.  With my goal to be able to afford the cost of studying abroad while in college, I knew I needed to make some serious money this summer.

In the end, I decided to forego the opportunity to gain work experience and a resume booster for a job that I love. I have a few more summers left before I enter the working world to hold internships and to build up my resume. My decision made, I felt great knowing that this is my summer to enjoy the kids and booster my bank account for the upcoming college expenditures that are sure to arise.

I wonder how I will feel when I am in Sarah’s position, getting ready to end my life at JMU and begin a life as a career woman. I wonder if I will have gone on that study abroad trip, received summer internships and have boosted my resume. I wonder if I will graduate satisfied, knowing that I made the most of the time I spent at JMU. My hope is that all who graduate now may have found that satisfaction, and that you find happiness in the life ahead.