Family Tides
Getting a first summer job is a rite of passage for teens living at the shore, whether it’s scooping ice cream, working the front of a boardwalk shop, slinging pizzas or checking beach tags.
It’s often an exciting milestone and a chance to earn spending money, gain independence or start saving for a first car. It also offers valuable experience that helps teens build practical skills (even if the summer drop-offs aren’t always fun for parents stuck in traffic).
For 15-year-old Julianna Souder, landing her first job has been just that.
Souder secured a summer gig at Johnson’s Popcorn on the Ocean City Boardwalk after applying to several places through her school’s job fair at Mainland Regional High School. Souder is enjoying the job and hopes they will keep her on in the fall.
Although Souder said she needed the money, she was also seeking the experience.
“I also wanted the experience to start working earlier. It’s also good for my mental health to get outside more,” she said. “My managers and my coworkers are super nice.”
Like anything new, it came with a few challenges. Souder said she felt nervous about meeting her boss for the first time — and even got lost on her first day at work. (She advises fellow teens to leave a bit early and ask their manager ahead of time how they want them to enter the building.)
“Just because I get really anxious, just going in person and meeting my boss was really nerve-racking. But she’s so sweet, and a lot of the employees I’ve met on the boardwalk are so sweet. They’re really amazing people. So, I feel like it’s definitely not something as scary as you’d think it would be,” she said.
Now settled in, she’s found she really enjoys interacting with customers.
“I know some people don’t have this experience, but talking to the customers just gets me excited,” she said.
While Souder is settling into her first job, other teens are just getting started.
On a hot Saturday at Custard Hut in Somers Point, 13-year-old Jacob DeScioli was shadowing his cousin Jason Plum on his first day on the job.
Plum and his brother, Justin, now run the Somers Point location and its sister store in Upper Township, both of which have been owned and operated by the Plum family since 1977. Plum said he’s been handling the hiring for about 10 years.
“This whole place fosters good old-fashioned skills. You have to listen to an order, you have to remember, you have to communicate it to your team. You also have to simultaneously reassure the person at the window that I have your order — we’re going to take care of you. So that’s courtesy; that’s service. It’s also teamwork,” said Plum. “It’s this symphony of good old-fashioned communication. And not to knock technology, but this is important — to balance it.”
Plum said he’s “really proud” of the employees who come in a little less outgoing and stand at the window and talk to 300 customers in a day.
“You have the opportunity 300 times to become a little braver, to become a little bit more forthright. So, we give these kids that opportunity, and it’s really cool to see a lot of them evolve,” he said.
He also encourages young workers to seek out feedback as a way to grow.
“Ask ‘How did I do?’ Ask for feedback from people who are better than you. And then ask further: ‘Is there anything else I can do to improve?’ The interest and the desire to improve via your participation with it is what we all want to see. It’s what coaches want to see. It’s just like, are you hungry to improve? Not for the business, not for this, but it actually helps you as a human being achieve better and better things,” Plum said.
Another tip: don’t be afraid to follow up.
Plum advises young workers not to hesitate to reach out to places where they’ve applied. He said he loves to see a young person inquiring about their hiring status.
“I love to hear back from people trying to get a job, like a phone call or a text,” said Plum, noting it won’t be seen as a nuisance but a sign someone is “willing to stand up for themselves.”
“So please, reach out. If you put an application in, don’t sit back. Go and find out what happened to the application. If you want that job really bad, ask for another interview. Be like, ‘You know what, are you sure I’m not a good fit?’ I would be floored and be like, ‘Okay! Come on in. Let’s talk again. You’re hired with a dollar raise because I was wrong, and I’m willing to admit it,’” he said.
As a recently hired teen, Souder advises her peers to be respectful throughout the hiring process, dress appropriately for interviews and let their personalities shine through.
“It’s really good to show charm and charisma at a job interview or first training shift. Especially if you’re doing a job that’s working directly with people, it’s very good to have those skills,” she said. “I can tell you an employer will feel a lot better about hiring you if they can see you as a more outgoing person who is very comfortable talking to people.”
She noted that while applying for jobs and getting working papers online was straightforward — thanks to a step-by-step guide and a code from her manager — it still took time to hear back, get an interview scheduled, gather the necessary documents and train. Patience, she said, is important to keep in mind.
Another teen tip? Cast a wide net, but be intentional.
“Just reach out to as many places as you can,” said DeScioli. “Find jobs you like. Don’t just apply for a job just because you want the money — apply for something that you actually like to do.”
Madison Russ is an award-winning journalist, copy editor and adjunct professor of communication based in Atlantic County. An Ocean City native, Madison is passionate about telling stories that matter to locals, often spotlighting nonprofits and exploring the area’s vibrant arts scene.
