Summer jobs for students

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

As kids move into their teen years, one of the requisite coming-of-age milestones is getting a summer job. Income from this employment may be used to help support educational expenses, pay for driving school or gas for the car, or fund social events like concerts or ball games.

Convenient part-time jobs can be found in many local areas, from the neighborhood to the community:

1. Family work. Teens might be able to work for parents who are running a home-based business. From making sales calls to keeping the filing of forms up to date, you can train a teenager to perform office work the way that a professional business might do it. Your teenager also might be able to work for an extended family member by providing lawn or pet care and running errands. Check with relatives who might need a pair of extra hands this summer and be willing to pay your son or daughter several hours a week for help.

2. Neighborly assistance. Have your teenager check around the neighborhood for special work opportunities that might become available. For example, someone who is building a new house down the street might need an extra worker to mix mortar or handle landscaping details. Perhaps an elderly widow is willing to pay someone to drive her to appointments each week. Your teen might be able to network with other neighborhood kids and start a recycling business, with ecological benefits as well as personal gain.

3. Stores and restaurants. Sales help or kitchen work seems to be widely available to young people. An exception is establishments that sell liquor that requires the hiring of 21-year-olds, although teenagers may be able to stock supermarket shelves or clear dining tables. Many businesses expect to hire summer help and are open to teenagers' applications. Some will let good employees continue working part-time through the school year as well, if desired.

4. Farm work. Wherever you live, your teen may be able to commute to the surrounding countryside for rural work. Baling hay, harvesting, and cleaning produce for market are some of the typical jobs that farmers hire teens to do. Caring for livestock is another chore that can earn a few dollars, along with repairing barns and fences or cleaning stalls.

5. House painting or wallpapering. If your teen has experience with these or is willing to learn from an expert, chances are he or she can find a job as an apprentice. During the summer, house painters and paper hangers experience high demand, so assistants are needed to carry supplies, help to set up equipment, assist with trim, and clean up afterwards. After a few years your teen may be able to earn more money by after earning more experience and professional contacts.

Summer work can help a student pay his or her way through skill, build character, and open doors to the adult world. Encourage your child who is seeking a summer job to check the want ads and get the word out through family members and friends.