Summer jobs for teens?

[Hilltopmom]

We live in a small college town in a very rural area.

 

Ds needs to get a job this summer, to save for college expenses & car insurance once he starts driving.

 

We have lots of retail stores, a few grocery stores , fast food, beaches & parks, 2 colleges.

 

He's not a lifeguard & can't work fast food. I'm not sure he has the personality to be, say, a grocery store cashier. (Obviously, we're talking summer job, not dream job here so he can certainly take a shot at a non preferred summer position & live through it)

 

What sorts of jobs have your older teens done?

 

He'll be done school when the colleges get out, a full month & a half before our local high schools get out, so maybe he can find something since he'll be available earlier than other local teens.

 

I suggested checking on campus where he DEs too, I worked back in the day full time on campus over the summers, not tied to financial aide, not sure if anything like that is open here.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[StephanieZ]

Well, I don't have any really great ideas, but I applaud your efforts to help him get a job. My only serious advice is that if he can't find a paying job, insist that he volunteer somewhere -- substantial hours, like at least half time -- to build up his resume to improve his chances for landing a job next year. That's worked well for my kids so far . . . 

[teachermom2834]

I have a kid who works in food service but not really fast food. More like a catering type place but they do have a sandwich shop. It is pretty slow paced and serves mostly the senior citizen crowd. Not sure what the issue is with fast food so just throwing this out there.

 

My town has good opportunities once kids hit 18 but not as much before then. Even though there is alot of retail and restaurants advertising for help it seems difficult to land that first job pre 18yo. My 16 yo had the sandwich shop job last summer but he had put in probably 25 applications before that hit. So my advice with teen jobs is to apply in volume and not be too choosy for that first job.

 

Our county has the lowest unemployment in the state but those teen jobs still don't come as easy as one would think :(

[Janie Grace]

Can he swim well? Then he can get certified as a lifeguard. That's what one of my older teens has done. The other just started a job at a local sandwich shop as a "deli associate," making sandwiches and doing whatever else needs to be done in the store (cleaning, stocking, etc). 

 

I'm not sure what you mean by not having the personality to be a cashier. Most likely his job will involve relating to the public. I think as long as he can smile and say "did you find everything you were looking for? That will be $95.50. Would you like to donate to the Red Cross?" he will be fine. The number of things they actually HAVE to say is very few, and if he struggles interpersonally, it may be a good thing for him!

 

One of my older teens has also started his own lawn-care business. Through that, he also got into hardscaping. 

[Hilltopmom]

He's been working all year this year as an intern at a local engineering company (unpaid, but great experience), so he will have that on his resume at least.

 

Swimming skills not good enough for life guarding.

 

(He struggles with overeating & his weight, hence the no fast food places.)

 

Good point, maybe cashiering " would" be good.

 

Other local teens we know are all either lifeguards, or cashiers at the grocery store or target.

I think one started as the " collect the carts & sweep the floor" position at the grocery store before cashiering. Not sure what that job is called.

[kewb]

My teens lifeguard but their friends have had the following types of jobs:

Camp counselor

General office/pool help at the town pool

Busboy/dishwasher at a restaurant

Counter person at an ice cream shop

At the supermarket:

Cart collector/stock person

Deli counter

[Beth S]

If he already interns, he could ask the employees there if they had any recommendations.

It just would be wonderful if he could work in his future field.

 

Our kids have done dual enrollment, and then tutored on campus in math . . . because they need tutors with availability on M-W-F mornings.

Our library also has a info desk, as well as the checkout counter.  Here, they hire teens for those jobs as well.

Reshelving books is a rather active task.

[marbel]

I see why you don't want food service.  My daughter works in a small cafe and there is food available to her any time she wants to eat it.  And soda and sugary juice drinks...

 

My son got a job at a small welding shop.  He has some training in welding, but that's not what he does there.  He mainly cleans and does other go-fer type work, and helps on installations occasionally.  He got the job over the summer and they graciously kept him on during the school year, working about 4 hours a week.  He's hoping to get more hours and more varied tasks this summer.

 

If you have small contractors in your town, he might try that out.  Where I live, landscapers are always looking for summer help.  (My son had that type of work at the very bottom of his list.)

[bettyandbob]

Most teens in my area are lifeguards, swim instructors, retail workers and restaurant workers. Another place is local nurseries--they require people to do cashiering and heavy lifting and pay minimum wage, and they mostly hire nonminors.

 

Your ds could also look at daycamps. Those have been hiring for a couple months in my area. Daycamps are run by everyone, so look everywhere (local govt agencies, community centers, rec centers, churches, private schools, the college, nature centers, YMCA). Not all daycamp jobs are camp counselor.

 

When my dd was too young to get a job she did pet sitting and took care of people's plants while they were on vacation. She kept doing those things after she got a job working for someone else, but she no longer advertised because she didn't need a lot of clients supplementing her earnings.

 

The highest paid entry level job in my area is lifeguarding. This pays $9-12/ hour to start, depending on the facility. You do not have to be an excellent swimmer to pass the Red Cross lifeguarding course. You don't need to be a swim team (rec or club) swimmer. You need to swim 300 yards continuously (12 lengths of a 25 yd pool). You don't need to swim it fast, but you should not look like you are drowning the whole time. And you need to be able to do surface dive (not diving from side). And tread water for 2 min. If you can do those things you can learn the rescue skills in the course and should be able to pass.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Diana P.

[StephanieZ]

He's been working all year this year as an intern at a local engineering company (unpaid, but great experience), so he will have that on his resume at least.

 

Swimming skills not good enough for life guarding.

 

(He struggles with overeating & his weight, hence the no fast food places.)

 

Good point, maybe cashiering " would" be good.

 

Other local teens we know are all either lifeguards, or cashiers at the grocery store or target.

I think one started as the " collect the carts & sweep the floor" position at the grocery store before cashiering. Not sure what that job is called.

 

I'd try to build off the experience he already has. That's a fantastic help!! First, I'd have him ask his bosses at the engineering company if they know of any openings there or elsewhere for a summer job. The company might well offer him a paid position if they know he wants one. They might have some file purging / office supplies organizing / etc projects that'd welcome some extra hours from a low level worker, and might welcome some extra hands just answering the phone or preparing mailings or other clerical tasks, especially in the summer when lots of regular staff like to take off. If not, they might have an idea for other companies that could use him . . . 

 

Be sure he has set up his LinkedIn profile and works to build connections/etc there.

 

Personally, we had an unpaid volunteer/intern at our vet hospital once for 1-2 years ages 14-16. Once she hit 16, we promptly offered her a paid position, and she worked for us for a couple years after that . . . We'd *never* ordinarily hire a 16 year old, and, in fact, we no longer even allow volunteers/observers under 16 (and *rarely* under 18) . . . But, because we knew her and hew work ethic, we were delighted to hire her . . .

 

Anyway, I'd suggest he look for receptionist/clerical support/etc office jobs in addition to the typical teen jobs. His office experience should help him get jobs like cashier/desk clerk/etc. 

 

I affirm the need to apply to dozens of jobs. It's a numbers game at that point in his career. He has a big advantage with his internship, assuming he can get good references. Be sure to list it as a "job" in all applicable spots . . . That's what we do with my kids' unpaid internships/volunteer positions. We just note somewhere in the description that it was unpaid, to be upfront and honest and avoid any appearance of deception. My college girl's unpaid internship (at an outdoor education nonprofit school) last summer was key to her landing a very-well-paid computer science co-op position . . .  

[Hilltopmom]

Hmm, I wonder if work placement/temp places would work with helping a teen too? I'll look into that.

 

A "real" job hadn't occurred to me. His internship company runs a factory on site as well, maybe they hire summer workers. He'll ask his direct boss next week when he goes in, good idea!

[Janie Grace]

 You need to swim 300 yards continuously (12 lengths of a 25 yd pool). You don't need to swim it fast, but you should look like you are drowning the whole time. 

 

This is my favorite part of this whole thread! Make sure he works on his "drowning lifeguard" look.  :lol:

[Farrar]

Around here, the parks department doesn't just hire teens to be the lifeguards, they can also be the id and money takers at the gate and clean the locker rooms at the pools. Plus, they hire teens to be extra support for rec summer day camps and to help do summer landscaping work. A good bit of this is because there's a big summer youth employment program here (all teens who apply and actually show up are virtually guaranteed a job somewhere doing something and the parks and rec department is one of the biggest employers) - so there's also a good bit of make work to serve that program, but I'm pretty sure they'd be hiring a decent number of young people even without that program.

[bettyandbob]

This is my favorite part of this whole thread! Make sure he works on his "drowning lifeguard" look. :lol:

Oops I guess I left a word out. An essential word.

[Hilltopmom]

Around here, the parks department doesn't just hire teens to be the lifeguards, they can also be the id and money takers at the gate and clean the locker rooms at the pools. Plus, they hire teens to be extra support for rec summer day camps and to help do summer landscaping work. A good bit of this is because there's a big summer youth employment program here (all teens who apply and actually show up are virtually guaranteed a job somewhere doing something and the parks and rec department is one of the biggest employers) - so there's also a good bit of make work to serve that program, but I'm pretty sure they'd be hiring a decent number of young people even without that program.

Hmm, we have nothing like that. Our beaches (no pools) are all state parks with adult employees except for lifeguards.

There is a summer youth employment program, but it's only for very low income families.

No day camp programs except for one run by the Y & staffed by the student jocks.

[wintermom]

- landscaping or lawn maintenance

- summer construction

- dog kennels

- farm hand

- fruit picking

 

I'd try to find a job where he's outdoors, working with his body. My ds and brother totally bloomed during the summers that they were outdoors doing physical work. They felt so tired but so proud of themselves. 

[Liz CA]

Ds picked fruit at a berry farm and delivered to cold storage during summer and year round took care of other people's livestock when they needed help. He also chopped and stacked wood.

Are any of those options for your ds?

[Laurel-in-CA]

Under 18 - my son worked and lived on campus at a christian camp -- he did program stuff, kitchen stuff, maintenance stuff, cleaning stuff, ate at the camp and they took a bit out of his pay for room and board. He had a great time with friends the 2 summers he did that. Then he went to work at a very physical job, as a zipline tour guide in the redwoods. Very cool job but physically exhausting and doesn't sound like it would suit your son.

 

Under 18 - my daughter got certified as a lifeguard at 16 (nearly blew it with a panic attack over CPR, but made it thru. For her test she had to rescue a 6'2" guy from the bottom of the pool - she's 4'11.5"). She now works doing in-home care for disabled/senior adults. That includes driving them on errands, light housekeeping, cooking meals, and even lifting one very disabled guy in and out of bed with a mechanical lift system. She found out she loved seniors because she started her lifeguard career @ the senior center pool (calm compared to city pool) and loved the people. In-home care pays a bit better than lifeguarding, within a dollar or so. She works for an agency that serves people all over our local area, so she doesn't have to find her own clients.