10 Summer Jobs Your Teen May Not Have Considered

 

In my neck of the woods a lot of teens get work in fast food restaurants, at the local grocery stores or retail at the mall. Another big summer job is detasseling, although I’ve heard some not too nice accounts of detasseling summer jobs. It is a lot of work.

 

With the economy in a slump, it is becoming more difficult for teens to find summer jobs. Teens need to start thinking of new ideas to make money this summer. Here are a few ideas they may not have thought about:

• Childcare: Kids are out of school for the summer, but their parents still need to work. A teen can make a lot of money taking care of their neighbors kids for the summer. And they can have fun doing it. They can take them to the pool or the park. They can play games. It’s a fun job.
• Day program counselor: Our city offers day programs for younger kids. Check your city recreation department to see if your city offers similar programs. We have half day programs and full day programs. The counselors plan kid games and keep track of the kids. One day a week they take the kids to the local pools too. I had a friend who did this every summer and she loved it.
• Camp counselor: Similar to day program counselors, there is also camp counselor opportunities. Many parents send their kids to the YMCA day camps or to one of the weekly overnight camps. Being a camp counselor can be a lot of fun. And it looks great on a resume. Plus you can also meet a cute camp counselor of the opposite sex.
• Camp worker: Is working with kids not your teen’s thing? There are still plenty of jobs available at camps. They could work in the kitchen or on the maintenance crew.
• Construction worker: Summer is the time for new home construction. Construction companies are often looking for helping hands. And it pays pretty well.
• Landscaping: Summer is also the time for landscaping. Your teen could either work for a landscaping company to gain some great experience. Or he/she could just advertise in the neighborhood for mowing, weed control and gardening.
• Lifeguards: If your teen is a good swimmer this is a great opportunity. They can take a training class at the Y and spend their summers looking at hotties at the pool. Oh and saving lives.
• Hotel staff: A lot of people vacation in the summer months and hotels are looking for additional staff to keep up. Your teen could work in dining, in maintenance or as a housekeeper.
• Amusement park/Water park worker: Again, with vacations the amusement parks and water parks are looking for additional workers. Teens could take tickets or work at concession stands.
• Temp agency: With workers out on vacation many companies are looking for temporary help. Have your teen sign up with a temp agency for placement. This is a great opportunity to learn a bunch of different skills. And temp agencies have all kinds of jobs, from factory to office jobs.

There are a lot of jobs out there for teens if teens get creative. There are even jobs out there that will help them with their future jobs. If your teen is thinking of becoming a teacher working as a camp counselor is a great start. 

If your teen wants to major in business working for office jobs through a temp agency will let them know how office work feels. If they dream of owning their own hotel chain they can start at the bottom as a housekeeper. The opportunities are endless.