I have a BA, concentrations in English and Psychology. I am having trouble matching my summer job as a paralegal last summer. The question of whether you can expect a career related summer job or not is a difficult question without knowing exactly what career it is you hope to pursue. If you can afford to be extra picky when looking for summer employment that is great, too often students are not in such a position. I believe that one can benefit from any type of summer employment when it is early in your employment history.
Many summer jobs provide great opportunities to develop customer service and interpersonal skills.
These are invaluable skills for most careers. I am guessing that your paralegal job last summer was not here in Halifax. Check with your university student employment centre for assistance and information on summer job openings. There are various government-funded student summer placement opportunities where the goal is to place students with organizations that match their skill set and area of interest. Again, your student employment centre can offer assistance.