Tips for Teens – Finding the Right Summer Job for You
So you need a summer job. For teens to find the right summer job, it can sometimes be challenging to find the right one. It helps to take an honest assessment of your abilities, interests, and strengths. It’s a good idea to start your assessment and other research early; it’s competitive out there!
Here are some tips for finding the right summer job for you.
1. What Are Your Goals?
As you begin your research process, it’s a good idea to define your goals. Why do you want a job? What do you hope to gain from it? Is there any other reason besides just earning money? If possible, try to find a job that augments and supports a greater goal – do you have career aspirations toward art, writing, zoology, engineering, etc.? If so, try to find a summer job that has at least something to do with that career. Working in a library, for instance, might be great for someone interested in a career in publishing, writing, or even history.
If you have a lot of interests, try to narrow them down. Not all interests can be turned into a career; they would best be kept as hobbies perhaps. You might want to garner the help of an adult – even a professional career counselor – to help you sort out which skills and interests are “marketable” and which ones are not.
2. Be Flexible
As you are defining your goals and interests, it is a good idea to be a bit flexible. After all, not every job will have something directly to do with your future. And when you think about it, any job is an enhancement to your resume and future career goals. If you want to be an ornithologist, for instance, but there aren’t any bird-related jobs near you, you could take a job at a local retail store with the understanding that you are gaining experience in time and money management which are crucial skills for any job.
3. Be Willing to Volunteer
Sometimes, teens have to make a choice between earning right now and furthering their long-term goals. There may be a volunteer position available in your field of interest, but all the paying jobs are irrelevant to your career goals. Discuss this with your parents and find out just how important it is to earn money this summer. If you present really thoughtful, logical reasons for taking a volunteer position, your family may support you in that.
4. Resources
In the old days, the classified ads and word of mouth were about the only resource available for teens seeking jobs. Those are still very important resources; but today there’s more. You can get online and join a job board for teens in business or seeking work. You can even set up your own blog or website and promote your skills and career goals.