Summer Job Ideas

Summer Workin' - Job Hunting Guide for Teenagers

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

I am 16 years old and would like to get a job this summer, but I'm the first of my friends to start working and I'am not sure what kinds of jobs I should be looking for. How do I decide which summer job is right for me?

Sincerely,

Wanna Work

A:

Dear Wanna Work,

There are lots of jobs available for teens, depending on what your talents and interests are.

Jobs For Teens

Babysitting. If you’re good with kids, babysitting is an easy way to make money. Put an ad in a local paper or on a local bulletin board, and team up with a few friends to start a service so that if one of you can’t take a job, the other can. Or babysit as a team to keep each other company and keep kids under control.
 
Coach sports. Many parents invest in private music lessons, and if they knew that there was a great soccer or Little League coach in their midst, well .... If you played Junior Varsity or Varsity sports, offer your services to your community for an hourly fee.
 
Walk dogs. This job is especially great if you live in an urban neighborhood with apartment buildings or complexes. Post an ad that you walk dogs before school and after school for one hour, and watch your doggie dollars add up.
 
Bag it. Supermarkets often hire teens who are 14 to 16 to work as a bagger after school and in the summer. Check with your local store to see if there are possibilities.
 
Camps. Summer camps count on local teens to staff their bunks. Apply in the Spring at local camps for either day camp positions or summer camp positions. These jobs don’t pay as much as other jobs, but they’re often fun and social.
 
Car wash/dog wash. If you can team up with a few friends and offer an in-home car wash, you’ll get regular customers to hire you bi-weekly at regular hours. Offer to wash your clients’ dogs, too.
 
Mow/rake/shovel. Depending on the season, offer your services as an outdoor employee. You can mow lawns in the Summer, rake leaves in the Fall and shovel snow from driveways and walkways in the Winter.
 
Ref or ump. Consult your town Parks and Recreations Department for their local basketball and baseball camps that are offered at Summer, and often Spring and Winter breaks. They often hire teens to referee and umpire games, as does Little League. The pay is low, but the job is fun.
 
Barrista work. Many local coffee shops will hire 16-year-olds (and up) to work making smoothies, slushies and iced blended drinks.
 
Volunteer work. Hospitals and old age homes as well as shelters for the less fortunate always need help. Check with your local hospital to see what kind of volunteer services you, or your teen, is eligible to do.

 

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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