06/24/2026
Parents often ask what their students can do to prepare for college success.
A recent Forbes article highlighted the five skills employers want most:
✔️ Communication
✔️ Teamwork
✔️ Customer service
✔️ Leadership
✔️ Problem-solving
The interesting part? Many students develop these skills through a summer job.
Whether they are working at a camp, lifeguarding, serving customers, or stocking shelves, students are learning how to:
• Show up on time
• Manage responsibilities independently
• Communicate with supervisors and coworkers
• Solve problems on their own
• Balance competing demands
These are the same executive function skills that help students succeed in college.
As a College Executive Function Coach, I often work with students who are bright and capable but struggle with time management, organization, planning, and self-advocacy. Real-world experiences like summer jobs help build these skills in ways that classrooms often cannot.
The Forbes article also points out that colleges value summer jobs because they demonstrate responsibility, initiative, and maturity.
So if your student is working this summer, remember that it is much more than just a paycheck. It may be one of the best preparations for college and beyond.
Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherrim/2026/06/11/5-job-skills-employers-want-most---and-why-a-high-school-summer-job-teaches-them-all/
A summer job can demonstrate a student’s responsibility, communication skills, and self-motivation to colleges.
