It sounds too good to be true. You could earn tons
of money (for a summer job, anyway) if you work
for the right company and you'll develop a cut
physique and a glowing tan. But there's more to
outdoor labor than the, uh, glamour.
"It's really hard. After working all day I just
collapsed into bed," says Neal Rosenthal, a
sophomore at Roger Williams University who spent a
half a summer working for a landscaping company in
Maryland. Rosenthal started his day around 7 or 8
in the morning, then spent the hours cutting beds,
sodding, and grading (which, he explains, involves
moving lots of dirt around to make the ground flat
or to make it slope the way you want it.)
Sometimes the heat was unbearable, so plenty of
breaks are required. That doesn't make it much
easier, though. "It was impossible," Rosenthal
says. Still, he says, "I loved it and I'd do it
again."
The pay is a definite perk. Rosenthal worked about
six weeks and made close to $3,000. Plus he got to
be outside. And he had "a great tan."
He advises others thinking about spending the
summer landscaping to go for it, but "be ready for
really hard work." You just don't know how heavy
wet sod is until you've carried two dozen rolls of
it across a muddy field.
Ed Hannan spent his freshman summer working as a
groundskeeper for a golf course. Like Rosenthal,
he worked his butt off. "My muscles ached like
crazy and I was in bed every night by 10." Not
only was he worn out by the work, but he had to be
at the club by 6 am to start the mowers and cut
the greens before golfers showed up.
Hannan spent the rest of his day edging the
bunkers (cutting the grass where it meets the sand
to create a lip), fixing rocks near water hazards,
cleaning up tee areas, and weedwhacking to the
driveway entrance to the country club.
He liked the work quite a bit, enjoyed being done
with work at 2 pm, and "got the best tan of my
life and…got strong." Unfortunately, Hannan didn't
luck out in terms of pay: He raked in a whopping
$5 per hour. Consider pay when you're looking for
outdoor labor jobs; you'll be working hard and
there are companies that pay well. You just have
to make sure you find them.
Landscaping isn't the only option for a summer of
sweat and toil in the midday sun. You can work
construction, pave driveways, or paint houses.
These jobs all offer regular hours, potentially
great pay, and afford the opportunity to build
your rockhard bod. As a house painter, several
outfits allow you to set up and run your own
business — meaning your summer in the sun could
look great on your resume, too.
Christie Matheson wants to move the Student.Com
offices outside so she, too, can get a tan while
she's working.
