Teens and Summer Jobs

Has your teen found a summer job yet, because it’s going to be hard to find one.  In fact, last year, only 1 in 4 teens had summer jobs, the lowest on record, and this summer may be just as tough.  

Half of all teens are in school over the summer doing remedial or prep work for college. The recession has also changed the landscape. Now, teens are competing with grandparents, who are also vying for the same summer jobs.

What should your teen do?  They should research companies that hire teens: camps, day care, retail stores, restaurants, tennis and swim clubs, libraries, parks, resorts—you get the picture.

Have your teen look into internships with corporations, who are interviewing now.  Also volunteer work is great.

Help your teen to create a simple resume and a cover letter.  Work with them to hone their interviewing skills. They should go prepared to each interview with a list of intelligent questions that demonstrate their knowledge of the job and why they are perfect the candidate.

They can search summer job opportunities online and also visit prospective employers in person.  They can also be creative and use their special talents by giving lessons to neighborhood kids.

The earlier they start, the more options they’ll have.