Summer is just a little over two months away and now is the perfect time to start talking to your teenager about a summer job. Whether it be paid or volunteer, gaining work experience that teens can include on college applications is important. Admissions offices want to see initiative, leadership, and commitment. Each of these qualities can be proven when a teen takes on the responsibility of a job.
Below are thirty-one of the most popular summer jobs for teenagers; with numbers 1 through 14 being job opportunities that your teen can create for him/herself if they are the entrepreneurial type.
I’m a big advocate of doing what interests you and playing on one’s strengths – remember my earlier post titled, “Helping Your Kids Discover a Career They’ll Love“. From that and with a little self-marketing, your teen can make their own job opportunities. Teaming up with a friend or two is also a great idea.
With a little guidance from Mom and Dad, and in some instances some formal training, your teen can contact family, friends, and neighbors they know to promote their own services and be their own boss. Let me stress that again… with guidance from Mom and Dad… and for family, friends, and neighbors they know.
- Babysitter: Local recreation departments and hospitals offer babysitters training courses to get teens ready to babysit.
- Yard Sale Coordinator: I’ve heard from so many people that they would love to have a yard sale, but they just can’t do it themselves. Having a yard sales requires sorting and moving boxes and often heavy items, advertising (which requires posting the sale date to CraigsList, making signs, putting up them up and then later taking them down), pricing items, selling on the day of the sale, and donating or disposing of unsold items. A small group of teens could start their own yard sale coordinator business and offer to help homeowners run their own yard sales.
- Yard Maintenance: Rake lawns, trim bushes, plant flowers, and weed mulch beds.
- Social Media Set-up: You’d be surprised at the number of small businesses that either don’t have the time or just don’t know how to set-up social media accounts to promote their business. Offer to sit with the business owner, set-up their social media accounts (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, or Linked-in), and train them how to post.
- Pool Maintenance: Pools need to be vacuumed and the debris screened from the surface almost daily; algae needs to be brushed from the pool walls; and the decks surrounding the pools need to be kept clear of leaves and debris.
- Car Washer & Detailer: Wash the exterior and detail the interior of vehicles.
- Kids’ Party Assistant: Assist Moms in coordinating their kids’ summer birthday parties; be an extra set of hands at those parties; and clean up afterwards.
- Painter: This requires some skill and you have to be neat, but if your teen has some prior experience painting, this could be a great summer job opportunity.
- Personal Shopper: Help busy moms out by doing their grocery shopping.
- Dog Walker / Pet Groomer
- House Cleaner & Window Washer
- Garage Cleaner & Organizer
- Website Designer
- Sports Instructor / Individual Trainer
- Camp Counselor: City and town recreation departments, local youth groups, and boys & girls clubs all host summer programs for young children for which they need to hire extra summer help. Many even offer on-the-job Counselor-In-Training programs to train young adults.
- Garden Nurseries
- Golf Caddy
- Paper Route
- Tutor
- Retail Sales: sales clerks or stocker at local stores
- Food Service: waiter/waitress, cashier, hostess, server, food runner, dishwasher, prep cook, ice cream scooper, baker
- Landscaper & Lawn Care
- Life Guard
- Concert / Event Assistant – parking, ticket collector, marketing, planning
- Supermarket – cashier, stocker, bagger
- Movie Theater: concessions, tickets, usher
- Aquarium: The New England Aquarium offers paid and volunteer summer internships.
- City / Town Hall – Municipal departments often hire summer help for minor town improvement projects such as re-painting fire hydrants or cross walks.
- Amusement or Water Parks
- Office clerk
- Animal Shelter
This list includes ideas for summer jobs for teenagers. Whether your teenager creates their own summer employment opportunity or they work for an already-established business, always talk to your teenager about job safety.
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Thank you & Enjoy!
Vicki
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