July 30, 2025 • 11 mins
Someone recently asked me if teaching English was a side hustle. Really? I hustle, that's for sure, but this is my only job. And I got my foot in the door in 1994 in Japan. Wow time flies!
Today, we have another episode in our summer series about American culture. It’s Week 7, and today we’re talking about something that’s kind of a rite of passage in the U.S.—summer jobs.
My AI English Tutor is HERE
Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript
Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
Today, we have another episode in our summer series about American culture. It’s Week 7, and today we’re talking about something that’s kind of a rite of passage in the U.S.—summer jobs.
My AI English Tutor is HERE
Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/transcript
Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Someone recently asked me if teaching English was a side hustle. Really,
I hustle, that's for sure, But this is my only job.
And check this out. I got my foot in the
door in nineteen ninety four in Japan. Wow, time flies.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
And this is Happy English Podcast eight fifty one. Summer
Jobs Teens, lifeguards, and ice cream trucks. Hello and welcome.
(00:53):
Thanks for joining me for another episode of the Happy
English Podcast. I'm your English teacher, Michael, and and I'm
so glad you're here with me for another episode in
our summer series about American culture. It's week seven, and
today we're talking about something that's kind of a rite
(01:14):
of passage in the US summer jobs. Now, not everyone
does this, but in the US it's pretty common for
high school or college students to work part time during
the summer. You'll see teens working at grocery stores, summer camps,
(01:36):
fast food restaurants, and yes, lifeguarding at the local pool.
It's a classic image, right, a teenager in sunglasses sitting
in that tall chair blowing a whistle. Yep, that's a
summer job. I still remember my first summer job. I
(01:57):
worked in a pizza shop. I had to be there
by like ten o'clock in the morning to help prepare
for the day. I landed that job through a friend
of a friend. And that's your first phrase for today,
to land a job. Yeah, we use land as a verb.
(02:20):
When you go fishing and you bring your flounder from
the sea to the land, you can say that you
landed a flounder, and it's not easy to catch a
fish with this image. When you land a job, it
means you get hired for that job, especially if it
(02:41):
was hard to get or if you were lucky to
get it, like Jenny finally landed a summer job at
the mall. Here's another one. My cousin landed a job
as a lifeguard. He gets paid to sit by the pool.
You get the idea. It's like catching something valuable. Now,
(03:03):
Summer jobs usually mean hard work. Even if you're just
scooping ice cream or folding T shirts at a store,
you've got to show up on time, smile at customers,
and deal with the not so fun stuff too. That's
where another great expression comes in hustle. In this context,
(03:27):
hustle means to work fast and work hard, not in
a stressful way, but in an energetic, go get them
kind of way. When I was working that pizza shop job,
I had to hustle during the morning to grate the
cheese and prepare the sauce for the day. It was
(03:49):
non stop from the moment the door has opened, and
you'll hear people say things like, in this restaurant, if
you want to make tips, You've got I got a hustle.
Tom's sister hustled all summer at that cafe and saved
up for a new laptop. Hustling is all about that
(04:12):
summer job energy, and recently we use the phrase a
side hustle to talk about a second job or some
part time work someone does in addition to their main job.
Some examples of side hustles or selling stuff on online
(04:32):
auctions or being the neighborhood dog walker. Of course, some
summer jobs pay more than others. When I was in
high school, my friend got a job mowing lawns in
the neighborhood. He totally raked in the cash. That's the
next one. Rake in. To rake in money means to
(04:57):
make a lot of it, often quickly or easily. Think
of raking leaves, but instead you're raking in money. Not
bad right, Like lifeguards at that beach rake in over
twenty dollars an hour. Tom's sister raked in tips working
(05:17):
at that fancy coffee shop. Now, with a summer job,
you're not always going to rake it in, but sometimes
you can, especially if you're willing to hustle. Now, let's
be real, not every summer job is amazing. Sometimes you
end up with a really bad boss or a boring position.
(05:42):
My buddy Paul once had a job that he hated
at a bagel shop. The manager was super rude and
the schedule kept changing. One day, he got so fed
up that he quit on the spot. And that's our
next phrase. It on the spot. When you do something
(06:04):
on the spot, you do it immediately and usually without
prior preparation. So if you have a summer job that
you don't like, you might just quit on the spot.
That means you leave the job immediately without notice. It's
not always the best idea, but sometimes people just can't
(06:28):
take it anymore, like Paul quit the bagel shop job
on the spot after the boss yelled at him in
front of a customer. Hopefully you won't have to use
that one yourself, but it's good to know. And finally,
here's one more important phrase, especially for younger people starting out,
(06:52):
get your foot in the door. When you get your
foot in the door, your taking the first step into
a career or a company, even if it's a small role,
and summer jobs can totally do that. Let's say you
want to work in fashion, maybe you get a summer
(07:15):
job folding clothes at a retail store. It's not glamorous,
but it helps you get your foot in the door.
Or maybe you want to go into the computer business
and you land a summer job at a local IT company.
That's your foot in the door. Like my cousin working
(07:37):
at a summer job at that bookstore helped her get
her foot in the door in publishing. And Frank well,
he started by washing dishes, but doing that got his
foot in the door in the restaurant business. Getting your
foot in the door, it's all about opportunity. So whether
(08:01):
you're scooping ice cream, guarding the pool, or driving the
ice cream truck. Yeah, that's a real summer job too.
Summer work in the US is often seen as a
big step toward adulthood. It teaches responsibility, how to deal
with people, and sometimes how to make a little cash
(08:24):
and hustle through a hot summer. Okay, before we go,
let's recap today's expressions. When you land a job, you
get hired. When you hustle, you work hard and fast.
When you rake in money, you earn a lot of money.
(08:45):
When you do something on the spot, like you quit
on the spot, you leave a job immediately. Lastly, when
you get your foot in the door, well you start
a career or an opportunity with an entry level job.
All right, that's it for today's episode. Thanks for hanging
(09:07):
out with me, and I'll catch you next time. And hey,
whatever you're doing this summer, don't forget to bring that hustle.
And keep in mind the best way to remember English,
like this and any other word or phrase in English,
is to take that word or phrase, write it in
a sentence that's true for you or true in your world,
(09:29):
and then memorize your sentences and remember to check out
my AI Tutor. It's a great way to practice your English,
get answers and more twenty four to seven and it's
all free. There's a link in the description where you
are listening to this podcast right now, so check it
out and if you like it, leave me a thumbs
(09:50):
up there. And if you really want to get more
practice using your English, you should join my podcast Learner's
study Group. There you can make new international friends, join
us for live group lessons every week where we practice
these podcast lessons together. Plus you get access to the pdf,
(10:13):
transcript and audio download for every Happy English podcast in
the past and in the future. And on top of that,
each episode has exercises where you can practice this English
point with speaking and writing checked by me. To learn more,
just visit my Happy English dot com and choose podcast
(10:34):
lesson eight fifty one. Remember, learning in other language is
not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here to
help you on your journey.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please
visit Myhappy English dot com show your support for Happy
English by leaving us a review. Get English, Get Happy,
Happy English.
Someone recently asked me if teaching English was a side hustle. Really,
I hustle, that's for sure, But this is my only job.
And check this out. I got my foot in the
door in nineteen ninety four in Japan. Wow, time flies.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
And this is Happy English Podcast eight fifty one. Summer
Jobs Teens, lifeguards, and ice cream trucks. Hello and welcome.
(00:53):
Thanks for joining me for another episode of the Happy
English Podcast. I'm your English teacher, Michael, and and I'm
so glad you're here with me for another episode in
our summer series about American culture. It's week seven, and
today we're talking about something that's kind of a rite
(01:14):
of passage in the US summer jobs. Now, not everyone
does this, but in the US it's pretty common for
high school or college students to work part time during
the summer. You'll see teens working at grocery stores, summer camps,
(01:36):
fast food restaurants, and yes, lifeguarding at the local pool.
It's a classic image, right, a teenager in sunglasses sitting
in that tall chair blowing a whistle. Yep, that's a
summer job. I still remember my first summer job. I
(01:57):
worked in a pizza shop. I had to be there
by like ten o'clock in the morning to help prepare
for the day. I landed that job through a friend
of a friend. And that's your first phrase for today,
to land a job. Yeah, we use land as a verb.
(02:20):
When you go fishing and you bring your flounder from
the sea to the land, you can say that you
landed a flounder, and it's not easy to catch a
fish with this image. When you land a job, it
means you get hired for that job, especially if it
(02:41):
was hard to get or if you were lucky to
get it, like Jenny finally landed a summer job at
the mall. Here's another one. My cousin landed a job
as a lifeguard. He gets paid to sit by the pool.
You get the idea. It's like catching something valuable. Now,
(03:03):
Summer jobs usually mean hard work. Even if you're just
scooping ice cream or folding T shirts at a store,
you've got to show up on time, smile at customers,
and deal with the not so fun stuff too. That's
where another great expression comes in hustle. In this context,
(03:27):
hustle means to work fast and work hard, not in
a stressful way, but in an energetic, go get them
kind of way. When I was working that pizza shop job,
I had to hustle during the morning to grate the
cheese and prepare the sauce for the day. It was
(03:49):
non stop from the moment the door has opened, and
you'll hear people say things like, in this restaurant, if
you want to make tips, You've got I got a hustle.
Tom's sister hustled all summer at that cafe and saved
up for a new laptop. Hustling is all about that
(04:12):
summer job energy, and recently we use the phrase a
side hustle to talk about a second job or some
part time work someone does in addition to their main job.
Some examples of side hustles or selling stuff on online
(04:32):
auctions or being the neighborhood dog walker. Of course, some
summer jobs pay more than others. When I was in
high school, my friend got a job mowing lawns in
the neighborhood. He totally raked in the cash. That's the
next one. Rake in. To rake in money means to
(04:57):
make a lot of it, often quickly or easily. Think
of raking leaves, but instead you're raking in money. Not
bad right, Like lifeguards at that beach rake in over
twenty dollars an hour. Tom's sister raked in tips working
(05:17):
at that fancy coffee shop. Now, with a summer job,
you're not always going to rake it in, but sometimes
you can, especially if you're willing to hustle. Now, let's
be real, not every summer job is amazing. Sometimes you
end up with a really bad boss or a boring position.
(05:42):
My buddy Paul once had a job that he hated
at a bagel shop. The manager was super rude and
the schedule kept changing. One day, he got so fed
up that he quit on the spot. And that's our
next phrase. It on the spot. When you do something
(06:04):
on the spot, you do it immediately and usually without
prior preparation. So if you have a summer job that
you don't like, you might just quit on the spot.
That means you leave the job immediately without notice. It's
not always the best idea, but sometimes people just can't
(06:28):
take it anymore, like Paul quit the bagel shop job
on the spot after the boss yelled at him in
front of a customer. Hopefully you won't have to use
that one yourself, but it's good to know. And finally,
here's one more important phrase, especially for younger people starting out,
(06:52):
get your foot in the door. When you get your
foot in the door, your taking the first step into
a career or a company, even if it's a small role,
and summer jobs can totally do that. Let's say you
want to work in fashion, maybe you get a summer
(07:15):
job folding clothes at a retail store. It's not glamorous,
but it helps you get your foot in the door.
Or maybe you want to go into the computer business
and you land a summer job at a local IT company.
That's your foot in the door. Like my cousin working
(07:37):
at a summer job at that bookstore helped her get
her foot in the door in publishing. And Frank well,
he started by washing dishes, but doing that got his
foot in the door in the restaurant business. Getting your
foot in the door, it's all about opportunity. So whether
(08:01):
you're scooping ice cream, guarding the pool, or driving the
ice cream truck. Yeah, that's a real summer job too.
Summer work in the US is often seen as a
big step toward adulthood. It teaches responsibility, how to deal
with people, and sometimes how to make a little cash
(08:24):
and hustle through a hot summer. Okay, before we go,
let's recap today's expressions. When you land a job, you
get hired. When you hustle, you work hard and fast.
When you rake in money, you earn a lot of money.
(08:45):
When you do something on the spot, like you quit
on the spot, you leave a job immediately. Lastly, when
you get your foot in the door, well you start
a career or an opportunity with an entry level job.
All right, that's it for today's episode. Thanks for hanging
(09:07):
out with me, and I'll catch you next time. And hey,
whatever you're doing this summer, don't forget to bring that hustle.
And keep in mind the best way to remember English,
like this and any other word or phrase in English,
is to take that word or phrase, write it in
a sentence that's true for you or true in your world,
(09:29):
and then memorize your sentences and remember to check out
my AI Tutor. It's a great way to practice your English,
get answers and more twenty four to seven and it's
all free. There's a link in the description where you
are listening to this podcast right now, so check it
out and if you like it, leave me a thumbs
(09:50):
up there. And if you really want to get more
practice using your English, you should join my podcast Learner's
study Group. There you can make new international friends, join
us for live group lessons every week where we practice
these podcast lessons together. Plus you get access to the pdf,
(10:13):
transcript and audio download for every Happy English podcast in
the past and in the future. And on top of that,
each episode has exercises where you can practice this English
point with speaking and writing checked by me. To learn more,
just visit my Happy English dot com and choose podcast
(10:34):
lesson eight fifty one. Remember, learning in other language is
not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here to
help you on your journey.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please
visit Myhappy English dot com show your support for Happy
English by leaving us a review. Get English, Get Happy,
Happy English.
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