Summer Jobs for Teens

Every teen should enjoy a summer job. It is a great opportunity to build up a resume, gain some real world work experience, and get a taste for what interests them, and most importantly what doesn’t. The following is a look at some of the great options for summer jobs for teens:

Something in a field that interests your child. If they think they might want to be a lawyer someday, help them get a secretary or assistant position at a law firm. This will give them a taste for some of what life is like for a lawyer. If they are interested in fashion, let them get a retail job at their favorite store, this will give them a chance to see other sides of the industry. The point is, a summer job can be more than a way to earn money, it can be a chance to explore the career potentials out there.

Pool jobs: Summers are fraught with swimming pools, so let your teen get a job at one. It will do a couple of things. First, it gives them a chance to work where they play, so that they can learn to appreciate those who work behind the scenes everywhere you go. It will also give them the ability to socialize and work at the same time, which is important for teens. It gets them outside enjoying the sun. It helps them develop useful people skills, etc.

Other summer jobs that are great for teens include things like yard maintenance jobs where they get a clientele of people who want their lawns mowed and flower beds weeded. This can be part or full time depending on your child, and their abilities. You could encourage them to get a job at a retail store or fast food chain to help them learn entry level skills, as well as skills such as following orders, and arriving at work on time and prepared.

Let your child get a job so that they can both increase their income and learn important life skills. There is a lot to be learned from a basic retail job. However, help your teen look for a job that not only pays well, but can help them advance toward their life goals, and learn skills that will benefit them later in life. Obviously it can be fun but it is better if it is something they have a real interest in, or at least think they do. Then they can try it and ask themselves if they like it as much as they thought, and what they didn’t like about it.

Summer jobs should be consistent and require commitment from your teen. A job can be a fantastic way to help them learn responsibility, so do not ask them to miss out on this opportunity, it is good for them, and may even help them value school more when they go back.