School is over and summer is finally here. Your teenagers are ready to enjoy some fun in the sun and they absolutely should. The summer months are also a great time for them to learn about money management and responsibility. Getting a summer job is one of the best ways for young people to begin to gain independence and learn important life lessons while they have you handy to advise them. Looking for a summer job for teens can be a bit challenging. Here is a list of some of the best summer jobs for teens to help them begin their job hunt and gain valuable work experience.
Summer jobs teach teens some basic soft skills they’ll need later in the “real world.” They’ll learn how to be responsible to their boss and their co-workers by showing up on time and doing the work that’s expected of them. They’ll learn how to be a team player with their co-workers. And they’ll learn how to be polite and communicate with their boss and their co-workers to get the job done. Full-time summer positions can help teenagers earn lots of extra money to put away for college. Part-time jobs are a great option that they may even choose to keep at lower hours during the school year.
5 Good Summer Jobs For Teenagers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “The employment-population ratio for youth—the proportion of the 16-
to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional population with a job—was 46.7 percent in July 2020… the largest percentage of employed youth worked in the leisure and hospitality industry (24 percent), which includes food services.
Here are some of the best summer jobs for teens that will introduce them to the world of working and give them some extra spending cash. These make good summer jobs for teens because the are often interested in hiring seasonally and don’t require too much experience. Teens should be reminded that a job search should start with many job applications as you never know which one will pan out.
Restaurant Server
Every teen at some point should have to work in a restaurant for a short period of time. There is no better place to learn and practice customer service skills, which seems to be a dying art. Working as a server will teach your teen communication skills, how to follow instruction, how to deal with people (both the pleasant ones and the rude ones), and they’ll have the opportunity to earn good money. Although most restaurant waiters make minimum wage for servers, busy and high end restaurants usually make very good tips on top of their hourly wage.
As an added bonus, they’ll be part of a team that needs to work together for the same goal so your teen will learn necessary teamwork skills. I worked as a waitress and I loved the tips as well as the fast paced environment of the food service industry.
Tutor
Students 15 years and older can work on SolutionInn’s website tutoring students online all over the world online. You don’t need to have experience; you just have to be knowledgeable in the area you’re tutoring. A great thing about tutoring is that you can work the hours you choose and tutor the subjects you feel comfortable in. This is a great opportunity for teens to be able to join the work force even if they don’t have transportation since they can work from home.
Retail
Working in the retail world can teach your teen that there may be a variety of tasks expected from just one job. They may have to stock inventory, hand out samples, work the register, and deal with customers. If your teen is sociable, they’ll love interacting with other people all day. And if they need to develop their social skills, they’ll be forced out of their comfort zone in order to learn how to socialize with other people.
In addition to a regular paycheck, a retail job can also offer your teen an employee discount. If they work in a store where they like to shop, they’ll be able to get new school clothes or other things they need at a reduced rate. I worked in retail and I loved it.
Summer Camp Jobs For Teens- Camp Counselor
Summer camps have lots of different summer positions and they are a good job for high school students. Camp jobs make a great great first job for even younger teens if they have been to summer camp and have an idea of what the type of work entails.
If your teen has strong leadership skills, or if they need to develop their leadership skills, a job as a camp counselor is a good fit. They’ll be able to spend some time outside, become a mentor to younger kids, and they may even pick up a new hobby.
The leadership skills they develop as a camp counselor will give them a head start on the abilities they’ll need later in life. Additionally, they’ll learn communication and conflict resolution skills as well. And if the camp is away from home, they’ll learn how to be more independent.
Nanny
If your teen is a natural nurturer, a summer job as a nanny or babysitter is a great fit. These jobs pay well and are in high-demand over the summer. Parents need to work while their kids are out of school, and many parents would prefer to have someone they trust take care of their kids at home than put them in a daycare center. This job requires older teens to be incredibly responsible with parents and little ones counting on them. Conflict resolution can also be a big part of this summer job, especially when dealing with toddlers. If your teen has dreams of becoming a teacher or social worker, this is a great way for them to test out their career choice.
More Summer Employment Sources That Hire Teens And College Students Seasonally:
- Movie Theaters
- Grocery Stores (usually open to 14 year olds+ depending on state laws)
- Fast Food Restaurants
- Lawn Maintenance
- Dog Walker
- House Sitter
- Agricultural Work
- Golf Caddy
- Amusement Park Attendants
- Book Stores
- Unpaid internships in area of career interest
- Another great option is to scan the job ads
Conclusion:
When helping your teen decide on the best summer job for them, always keep their personality in mind. Also, think about the skills they have or need to develop. This will help them decide if their summer job choice is a good one for them. I hope this list of good summer jobs for teenagers is useful and helps you survive parenting your teen over the summer! Do you have any other suggestions for good teen summer jobs?
BTW-
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Summer jobs teach teens to be independent and self-sufficient.