Great Summer Jobs for Youth
A part-time job is an excellent and constructive use of teens’ free time during the summer break. The benefits of summer employment include: earning spending money, obtaining valuable work experience for a resume, learning time management skills, developing new confidence and independence, gaining workplace skills to be more marketable in the future, and providing the opportunity for your teen to manage their own finances.
Here are some ideas for great summer jobs for teens:
Camp Counselor. If your teen is a natural leader, a camp counselor could be right up their alley. This job allows older teens to spend time outdoors, mentor younger kids to develop new skills, and develop independence.
Golf Caddy. For the teen who loves to be outside, caddying can be a great choice of summer job. This job does require an understanding of the game and the ability to do a lot of walking while carrying a heavy bag of golf clubs.
Retail Sales. There are a wide variety of positions available to teens in retail sales, such as inventory, stocking shelves, product demonstrations, customer service or operating a cash register.
Food Service. There are plenty of opportunities for teens in restaurants, ranging from hosts or hostesses, waiters or waitresses, busboys or busgirls, or cooks. These types of jobs can teach your teen customer service skills, team interaction, and conflict resolution.
Internships. If your teen has their sights set on a particular career, internships will help them gain industry experience and also find out if the career is a good match for them. Many of these types of positions are unpaid, but can be priceless additions to your teen’s resume. Teens can locate internship opportunities through their high school guidance counselors.
Life Guard. If your teen is a strong swimmer, life guarding can be a great summer job to consider. Teens must complete certification courses before they can be hired. The job can be challenging when the pool is full and sometimes boring when the pool is empty, but very rewarding when your teen realizes they have kept people safe.
Nanny/Babysitter. Teens who like children could consider taking on a summer job as a nanny or babysitter. Many working parents need help during the summer months for their elementary-school-aged children. This job requires patience and responsibility.
Ideas for Teen Businesses
Some teens may find it difficult to find work, or just have an entrepreneurial spirit. If that’s the case, starting their own business is a great idea. Here are some suggestions:
Pet Care. If your teen likes animals, teens can offer dog walking services or pet care while families are on vacation.
Yard Work. Summer brings an avalanche of yard work, and many people are too busy to keep up with it. Your teen could mow lawns, weed gardens, water plants, pick up yard debris, plant flowers, or any other outdoor task.
Technology Consulting. If your teen is technologically savvy, they could offer services, such as setting up a new computer, repairing broken computers and/or smartphones, getting rid of viruses, designing websites, setting up profiles and security settings in social media tools (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.), or teaching software programs.
Helping Senior Citizens. Many senior citizens need help doing household chores. They may not be strong enough or have enough energy to clean their homes, pick up their yard, or clean out their attic.
Errand Service. If your teen has a car and a cell phone, they could launch an errand service. Busy professionals would appreciate a responsible teen picking up their dry cleaning each week, taking the family pet to the veterinarian for a routine checkup, or grocery shopping.
Organizing. A teen with good organization skills and a tidy streak could offer to declutter and reorganize homes, and then even execute a yard sale, keeping a portion of the profits.
Arts and Crafts. A crafty teen can make and sell jewelry, candles, t-shirts, or other crafts with only a modest investment in supplies. These items can be sold at craft fairs, online, in local shops, or by networking with friends and family.
Run an eBay Business. Thousands of people run online storefronts on eBay to make money, and your teen can, too. If they are going to sell used products, they can find great deals at flea markets, garage sales, auctions sales, and estate sales. They could also offer to sell unwanted items for your family and friends for a portion of the profit.
Final Thoughts…
Working, even minimal hours, can provide teens benefits both in gaining employment skills and managing money. You might want to refer to previous blogs we have written on these topics: