Stuck in a bummer summer job? Stick it out, says Jennifer Newman

While things might have started on a high note at your summer job, often the honeymoon period doesn't last and it starts to feel like a grind.

If toughing it out until school starts again seems like an impossible task, workplace columnist Jennifer Newman has some advice for you.

She sat down with Stephen Quinn, guest host of CBC's The Early Edition to dole out some wisdom on surviving seasonal jobs.  

Stephen Quinn: How often do you hear about young people starting up summer jobs and then just not being able to hack it because it turns into such a grind?

Jennifer Newman: There can be a situation where the novelty wears off and is replaced by the reality of what the job actually entails. So the worker finds the job wasn't what they expected, or that aspects of it that weren't so bad are now becoming hard to take.

I talked to a student who was thrilled to get a job at a retail store. She was selling clothes and loved it, but after a while she noticed the music in the store was on a continuous loop and it wasn't turned off until closing. She really appreciated the job but felt ridiculous this was turning into a bit of a pet-peeve.

Other times, the job falls short of expectations. A university student who landed a co-op job at an environmental agency found himself basically filing, archiving, photocopying, reading old briefs, stuff like that.

He was grateful for the work but it did fall short of what he thought he would be doing.

Are there some common scenarios summer workers need to navigate as the season wears on?

Yes, and of course a big one is working with the public. If your job is to interact with customers, by the close of summer, you might start struggling with this.

There's the weeks of serving, handling complaints or giving the same instructions over and over again. Even if you describe yourself as a people-person, it can be hard.

Also, we know if you focus more on taking time with positive customers, their positivity is contagious so taking a bit longer with them will rub off on you.

What other situations can make a summer worker crazy?

The boss. This is a big one when working at a summer job. A lot of the time students have a great relationship with their boss but that's not always the case.

Summer workers can feel watched or micro-managed by their supervisor, which might have been okay at the beginning but once you know the job a bit better, it can start to be wearing.

One thing to do is see it from your boss's point of view. Remember, he or she is being judged on how well you do, so if you're a star that makes them a star, essentially. The boss who breathes down your neck is probably looking after their own reputation.

Can an intolerable situation be made tolerable if you're surrounded by good people, if you're working with people you like?

Absolutely, if you have a friend at work it helps. You might, however, run into the odd coworker that rubs you the wrong way.

As time goes by, you'll discover you naturally like working with some people and not others.There will be people you like and people who don't like dealing with you, but that's not the point. 

If this is happening to you, ask yourself, "why am I here?"

Summer staff are usually filling in for regular staff, lending an extra hand during a busy season or somehow helping the owner for a few months. Consider focusing on the job rather than a bothersome co-worker.

And really, it is a summer job, so hang in. You've only got a few more weeks. 

With files from The Early Edition.This interview has been edited for clarity and length.