ADVERTISEMENT

As soon as summer heats up, most of us are ready to go on adventures. We’re jetting off or hopping in the car to discover new places and spend some time in the fresh air and sunshine. But for the teenagers and young entrepreneurs out there, these few months of freedom are also the perfect opportunity to put a little extra cash in their pockets. Whether to save up for their first car or spend it all on long-awaited concert tickets, teens are sizzling with expectations.

However, a low-wage gig is usually rough. After all, it’s work. During the summer! And most of the time, it involves punishing hours, rude customers, and grueling manual labor. So no wonder these memories stay with us long after we collect our nickels and dimes. And they immediately came back after Jimmy Fallon asked Tonight Show viewers: "It's Hashtags time! Tweet out a funny, weird, or embarrassing story about a bad summer job and tag it with #WorstSummerJob."

People delivered some hilariously painful tales from the times they spent clocking in hours in the scorching heat, and we at Bored Panda have gathered some of the best ones. Scroll down to read the funniest responses and share your own experiences with us in the comments! Then be sure to check out even more amusing stories from Fallon’s recent challenges on #PromFail, #NanaQuotes, and #MyHighSchoolWasWeird.

Image credits: jimmyfallon

#1

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Krinnin Report

#2

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

KingSergioS Report

Whether you ever stocked grocery stores or landed a position as a lifeguard at the pool, you know how dreadful these jobs can be. While those experiences lead to the person we are today, our memories often carry a fair amount of icy moments too. Although many excited teenagers feel let down when their part-time positions fail to live up to their expectations, they sure make for entertaining stories.

So this recent hashtag challenge was all about the funniest and weirdest #WorstSummerJob stories. To kick the thread off, Jimmy Fallon started by tweeting: "My friend went on a really bad Tinder date one night. She went on a job interview a week later and her date was giving the interview. In both situations, there was no follow-up meeting."

ADVERTISEMENT

However, it turns out that people over on Twitter definitely had it worse. Some of the responses include real gems such as fighting ducks while trying to clean a small island and watching jars of jam traveling on a conveyor belt for 8 hours straight. If you’re looking for a job right now, these stories can certainly give some food for thought for your future choices.

#4

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

AdamTCowart Report

#5

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

njp_269 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Glitterati
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cigarettes at a pharmacy? Is this really a thing? Non American here not understanding 😂

keighterz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pharmacies are often located inside what might be considered a general store. The main register usually has cigarettes behind the counter. Separate register from where they fill your medications.

Load More Replies...
AspieGirl88
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine an old lady just whacks the guy with her walking stick & says “Wait your turn! I need my medication & you should respect your elders!” 😂

Kelli
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

None of them by me sell them anymore. It is different now though. There are more options than the local drug store. There are 87 gas stations in every town. 😂😂 Most grocery stores no longer sell them by me either.

Load More Replies...
Amy Stone-Chandler
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Ontario Canada, pharmacies stopped selling cigarettes in 1993. Our liquor/booze is not sold there or in regular stores either. Presumably, to help them from being robbed as much.

Kevin Howard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cvs and Walgreens here in the states as well as small pharmacies here used to they quit selling them about 5 years ago maybe...

Tota Mostafa
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guess he was just getting on your good side so you won't give him trouble loading the hay sacks 😂

Susan Reid Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In California, the pharmacy is a part of a larger drug store. In the drug store we can get greeting cards, cosmetics and over the counter medicines like aspirin and tummy ache medicine.

Jessica Cifelli
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Been there done that. Still even have the t-shirt. But because of this I will never ever work in retail again

Krista Leslie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah most American pharmacies are CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens some are smaller mom and pops that may carry a few sundries but the other ones are quite large and carry a little bit of everything even live Christmas Trees

Kevin Richie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Until the stupid Liberals started bitching, we sold smokes at the drug stores.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

TripleC50 Report

But however terrible some summer jobs can be, they are often seen as a rite of passage for many kids who set out to learn more about the world and learn some valuable life lessons along the way. According to a blog post on KidsHealth, these temporary gigs have plenty of benefits and can teach people valuable life skills.

ADVERTISEMENT

First, they provide teens with the opportunity to develop and improve their interviewing skills. And the more jobs they apply for, the better they will get once they seek out to get their one-of-a-kind dream job. Moreover, it can benefit them while trying to get into college as well.

#7

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Raegan31 Report

#8

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

guesswho0603 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

anchorman43 Report

#10

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

jimmyfallon Report

Another skill young adults gain is familiarizing themselves with rejection and getting better at coping with it. "You may not get the first job you interview for," they wrote. "Rejection happens in life and it can be hard to handle. The more we face rejection, the easier it becomes to move forward and bounce back." Then, stepping out of your comfort zone and putting yourself out there leads to learning something new about yourself. So teens who set out to find a new job can learn new skills and discover new interests. "If you need to save money, you may learn that commitment is necessary to reach your goals. If nothing works out? You may decide to start your own business."

ADVERTISEMENT

And, most importantly, new jobs can help grow stronger as a person, build self-confidence, and make people feel good about themselves. These new skills teens learn during their first job experiences can open new doors for future opportunities and, of course, look great on their résumés.

#11

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

LuckyGuy2017 Report

#12

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

foxtheactor Report

#13

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

JojoWeindl Report

Young people seem to see the benefits summer jobs can provide because according to Pew Research Center, teen summer employment is on the rise. After facing a drop after Covid-19, many businesses tried to get back on their feet and hired almost a million more teens in 2021 than in the summer of 2020.

As Drew DeSilver, a senior writer at Pew Research Center explained, last summer was the strongest in years for U.S. teenagers seeking work, when more than 6 million teens had a paying job for some part of the summer. "Accommodation and food services, arts and recreation, and manufacturing were among the sectors leading the teen hiring surge," he added.

ADVERTISEMENT
#14

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

UTJonesy Report

#15

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

M33Young Report

#16

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

ManiSha47808719 Report

Luckily, economists are sharing predictions that this year, we should see a strong job market for young adults as well. "If that pans out, it would continue a turnaround from the low-water mark of 2010 and 2011 and suggest that the plunge in teen employment during the first pandemic summer of 2020 was an anomaly."

#17

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

MariaMesinger Report

#18

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

coffeefairy99 Report

#19

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

mpmclaren Report

ADVERTISEMENT

DeSilver pointed out that in 2020, many places that usually employ teens during the summer either completely shuttered or minimized their operations as much as possible due to the pandemic. This meant that the teenagers who often lack experience and skill in a specific area became a less important source of workers for companies. Although last year, when the world started slightly opening up, many of them were facing labor shortages and practically begging for workers to help them out with the needed tasks.

#20

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

RenIsMrAwesome Report

#21

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

USMCX34 Report

#22

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

danielhudsonll Report

The 2022 summer job outlook for American teens published by the Drexel University Center for Labor Markets and Policy last month explained that despite the rapid pace of job creation, there were 1.19 million fewer jobs in April 2022 than in February of 2020, a month before the outbreak of COVID-19.

ADVERTISEMENT
#23

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

UTJonesy Report

#24

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

aj_strong Report

#25

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

rippel_lucas Report

"However, given the unprecedented labor shortage experienced across the U.S., particularly in industries where teens typically work, teens have a higher probability of being hired by employers," the researchers wrote. They predicted that the summer job market for teens this year will be strong, with an employment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds to be 32.8 percent, the highest since 2007.

#27

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

DaphneVanity Report

ADVERTISEMENT

"Employers suddenly rediscovered teenagers," Alicia Sasser Modestino, a labor economist at Northeastern University, told The New York Times. She explained that while young people from low-income families might have a harder time finding summer work due to there being fewer opportunities where they live, summer youth employment programs can help.

She stressed that teenagers and students should be opportunistic and look for a job that fits their needs by asking for a higher wage, a better schedule, or negotiating their responsibilities. "This summer, you have an opportunity to be choosy," Ms. Modestino said.

#29

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

RobmfnWallace Report

#30

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

SharonZurcher Report

Add photo comments
POST
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
#31

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

RockerSam91 Report

#32

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

TheTomWebster Report

#33

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

danabana65 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#34

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

emme4peace Report

#36

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

PaulaAnnRay Report

#37

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Mary_Bestest Report

#38

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

LeslieNease Report

#39

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

MANGOPHILE Report

#40

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Cindi_Brain Report

#41

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

millidollababyD Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
#45

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

UrPoopInAJar Report

#46

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Raymond18803877 Report

Add photo comments
POST
#47

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

edcrouse4 Report

#48

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

aeley76 Report

#49

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

rmillar55 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#50

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

TashaLMuppet Report

Add photo comments
POST
#51

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

zistwit Report

Add photo comments
POST
#52

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

RyanBartholomee Report

Add photo comments
POST
#53

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

HawkeyePrincess Report

Add photo comments
POST
#54

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

overbaughs Report

Add photo comments
POST
#55

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

CHARLIE24PS Report

Add photo comments
POST
#56

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

ChefAvamarie Report

#57

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

cdwcomposer Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#58

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

MaryHill10 Report

#59

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

YeeterBoi2021 Report

#60

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Brentfo4242 Report

#61

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

heartstudioco Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#67

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

SickelsDona Report

Add photo comments
POST
#68

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

asumer Report

#70

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

chad0616 Report

#72

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

PotterheadMom Report

Add photo comments
POST
#73

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

seamirac1979 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#75

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

UncleEvo Report

#76

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

TGSmi7th Report

Add photo comments
POST
#77

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Sohnzie Report

Add photo comments
POST
#79

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

HotWolfeNM Report

#80

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

weimer_amy Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#82

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

overbaughs Report

Add photo comments
POST
#83

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Dee_McCarthy701 Report

Add photo comments
POST
#84

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

treytom023 Report

Add photo comments
POST
#85

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Subzeronos Report

Add photo comments
POST
#86

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

mcmikeyv1 Report

#87

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

word_nerd12 Report

#88

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

TrueBlueArkeeny Report

Add photo comments
POST
#89

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

Trina36390130 Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#90

Worst-Summer-Job-Jimmy-Fallon

DevenisonLive Report