How to Help a Teen get a Summer Job

Encouraging your teen to get a summer job is an important part of being a parent. Having a summer job will teach a teen life lessons in responsibility, self-discipline, saving and budgeting money and develop future career choices. Not only will it build a teen’s self-esteem and confidence, but it will also help them build a resume that can be instrumental utilized in the college application process, scholarship applications, or obtaining future employment. Today, most teens that are seeking out summer employment are competing with adults for positions that were commonly held by teenagers. This makes employment opportunities for teens difficult to find, but a little creativity and persistence can pay off in finding the perfect summer job.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Start searching for summer employment way before the school year ends. March thru May is a perfect time to put in applications for summer employment. This also sends a clear message to possible employers that the teen is ambitious and driven. Also, a willingness to start job orientation or actual work on weekends just prior to school ending for the summer will also make the teen a good candidate for the position. Employers like to see flexibility.

2. Make a list of hobbies and skills that can be used to find work or create a job opportunity. This will also make a teen look more appealing when they interview for a job.

3. Check the local newspaper for employment opportunities that you may be suitable to do. Do not pass over temporary work positions or one day jobs. These types of opportunities are often perfect for entry level, and the more temporary positions a teen can accomplish, the more skills they will be able to add to their resume.

4. Have teen go to their school guidance counselor and inquire about summer hire programs the school may have implemented. For schools that do not run summer hire programs for teens, it may be a good opportunity to help get one started, and that could be yet another profile point the teen can add to their resume and college application. The school may even need summer help with maintenance and grounds keeping, which the teen may be able to inquire about.

5. Monitor supermarket and stores that have a job board posted. People needing odd jobs like painting a room, moving furniture, lawn mowing and more will often post these jobs at supermarkets and local stores. The teen can collectively put together enough of these odd jobs to fill their whole summer with employment.

6. Research day camps and sleep-away-camps. Camps typically look for older teens to fill camp counselor slots, and are willing to pay for transportation and room and board.

7. Stop into local home improvement and building companies. These types of businesses often have an increase of work to do during summer months, and are usually in need of extra hands to help out during those months.

8. Pass out flyers in the neighborhood the teen lives in to advertise work you are willing and capable of doing. This is a good opportunity to line up work as a mother’s helper, babysitter, yard work specialist and whatever odd job teen can create a market in.

9. Create a tutoring service. Many parents are always looking for someone that will work with their children on specific curriculum they may be weak in. This can give the teen an opportunity of using their education in a positive way to help others while making money doing so.

10. Volunteer summer jobs are always in abundance. Maybe money is not the real desire and building skills and volunteerism is. Teens can volunteer almost everywhere from hospitals to big business establishments to charitable organizations in their community. This is a great way to build a resume and volunteer hours that are often required for certain colleges and scholarships.

11. Apply for jobs at local recreation centers, pools, parks, beach clubs, golf courses, hotels, convenience stores, grocery stores, movie theaters and fast food franchises.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not wait until the last minute to apply for summer employment. Opportunities do go fast, and like the saying goes, “The early bird catches the worm.”
• Be creative and look at all the positive hobbies and skills teen may have which can be turned into a creative way to establish employment. For example, most teens can use a computer, and this skill can be applied to data entry type work.