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Jobs For Teens - Ideas & Discussions (1 Viewer)

ChiefD

ChiefD

Footballguy
So if any of you are like me, I have two teenage boys who work and a daughter who is still too young to work. I figured this thread might be a good place to post where your kids work and such for ideas for others whose kids may be having a hard time figuring out where they want to work.

16 Year Old: works at Home Depot as a lot attendant. Basically a grunt who puts the carts away, helps people load up their purchases, and just general help for around the store whenever they need someone to move stuff or water stuff or whatever. Pay is $14 an hour and they give him 20 hours a week during school and full time during the summer. I believe he can even start a 401k there even as a part time. (the company match wouldn't start until he's worked there a year I believe.) He loves it. Works hard but he gets to do something different every day.

14 Year Old: bags groceries at the Hy-Vee. Can only work on weekends during the school year because of Kansas law, and can only work I believe 7 hours a week. He can work up to 20 a week when school is out. Makes $11 an hour. He also mows lawns around the neighborhood (does 3-4 a week at $25 per lawn).

 
golf courses are getting back to busy season....many around here are looking for all types of seasonal staff....course and restaurant etc....

 
Dezbelief said:
This was going to be my suggestion, he's underpriced though.
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Yeah, he probably is, but these are close neighbors who we hang out with all the time and he doesn't want to be greedy. If it was someone in the neighborhood we didn't know he'd bump it up another $10 or so.

 
Any job is good one at that age to teach and socialize.

My favs were movie theater, room service and waiting tables at a resort (these most likely because of the crew I worked and getting that first taste of independence), Red Robin mascot. In college had a job driving an Ice Truck delivering bags of party ice all over southern Indiana to gas stations that was a good gig and worked in Yellowstone one summer which was great experience.

Worst jobs for me were dish washer and didn’t really care for landscaping.

 
Any thing in the food service/retail area.  It teaches them how not to treat people as customers are crappy and treat staff terribly.  By being subjected to that they learn it isn't the way to treat people.  A real life lesson that is drilled into you in these industries.  Plus it helps give them an idea of why it's important to get educated or learn a trade to make better money.

 
Good timing! Looking at options for our 14yo for the summer too. 

I have a friend who has some restaurants... thinking about getting him in for bussing. Wife wants him to do something more "serious", like intern somewhere fancy... I prefer he gets his hands dirty and learn about actual work. 

or almost the same spelling- told him to go into central park and start busking.

 
El Floppo said:
Good timing! Looking at options for our 14yo for the summer too. 

I have a friend who has some restaurants... thinking about getting him in for bussing. Wife wants him to do something more "serious", like intern somewhere fancy... I prefer he gets his hands dirty and learn about actual work. 

or almost the same spelling- told him to go into central park and start busking.
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At 14 he will have plenty of time to do a "real" internship as he goes along.  Getting the foundational work ethic of working in a restaurant will have far more impact at this point.  

 
Gally said:
At 14 he will have plenty of time to do a "real" internship as he goes along.  Getting the foundational work ethic of working in a restaurant will have far more impact at this point.  
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Yep. I worked for a catering company at 14 and bussed tables, washed dishes, set up buffet lines, stuff like that. In addition to the hard work you learn all kinds of cool weird stuff about life from the cooking staff. 

 
ChiefD said:
Yep. I worked for a catering company at 14 and bussed tables, washed dishes, set up buffet lines, stuff like that. In addition to the hard work you learn all kinds of cool weird stuff about life from the cooking staff. 
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I did the same thing.  I worked at Taco Bell for three years (from 14-17) and sidelined at a catering company doing the same type of thing you described.  It is a great work foundation to get instilled because there is no time to whine or be lazy.  You have to work hard or you don't get work.  

 
As teenager, I did hardware store, paper route, caddy, and worked at a community pool.  I would advocate for my kids to do something more social (e.g. community pool) for their first job, but every kid is different.  My 16 yo daughter is hoping to work for the park district doing sailing lessons and concessions.  One of our priorities is working somewhere she can walk or bike to. 

 
19 year old was a soccer ref from 14-16 and that pays about $25/Game out here.  Run around and watch 4th graders kick a ball.  Easy.  Except for the occasional jerk coach or parent.

Then he got a job at Jersey Mike's and was there for a while.  They leave a spot open for him when he's home from college.  He picked up shifts at Xmas and I assume will do so this summer.  I agree with Gally - you want to learn about human behavior and how to adapt, work in the food industry where you interface with the public.  90% of the customers are normal and nice, 5% are going to be angry and bombastic no matter what and 5% are just......insane.  But you gotta roll with the punches and nothing will prepare you for that like food service.  Jersey Mike's paid him well too - $14/Hour PLUS they pool all the tips and share them each pay period.  Hard work, can get really busy and stressful, but good pay and better life lessons.

17 year old has worked at Shake Shack (HATED IT), Target (Hated it less) and now works for a local furniture warehouse where he breaks down boxes and builds furniture.  Pays well, hours are flexible and he just goofs off with the other dudes that work there.  

I got a gig as a lifeguard in HS and that morphed into teaching private swim lessons once I was in college.  I made bank.  I was in the pool all day long, but only had to work 4 days a week and got to stare at hot chicks in bikinis at the Dallas Country Club.  Lifeguards would party together all summer long.  Loved it.  Made so much money in the 3 months I was home that I didn't really have to work much in college.  Best job I've ever had.

 
"Ditch ain't gonna dig itself son"

Relevant for you.

As for my kids, both girls, one worked at a local pizza shop then a kids retail boutique where she was the only employee. The other worked at a ice cream shop slinging scoops for about 3 years.

 
Lifeguards and pool attendants are in very shorty supply right now. Bonuses and pay are ramping up all over the country and there is still a massive shortage?

My first job? I was a migrant worker at 12. Picking blueberries. I don't recommend it.

 
General Malaise said:
I got a gig as a lifeguard in HS and that morphed into teaching private swim lessons once I was in college.  I made bank.  I was in the pool all day long, but only had to work 4 days a week and got to stare at hot chicks in bikinis at the Dallas Country Club.  Lifeguards would party together all summer long.  Loved it.  Made so much money in the 3 months I was home that I didn't really have to work much in college.  Best job I've ever had.
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So much this. Lifeguard is a great job for a HS kid. I was making $10-12/hr in HS and that was 20 years ago. Now, with the guard shortage, pay is probably waaaay better. In college, I was making $40+/hr teaching private swim lessons at the country club during college. 4-5 hours of doing that in the morning, the guarding another 6-8 hours in the afternoon. Great views as GM mentioned, you get a great tan, and hang outside all day. 

 
The General said:
Any job is good one at that age to teach and socialize.

My favs were movie theater, room service and waiting tables at a resort (these most likely because of the crew I worked and getting that first taste of independence), Red Robin mascot. In college had a job driving an Ice Truck delivering bags of party ice all over southern Indiana to gas stations that was a good gig and worked in Yellowstone one summer which was great experience.

Worst jobs for me were dish washer and didn’t really care for landscaping.
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Just FYI, working at a movie theater is where I started smoking pot.  YMMV.  

 
believe it or not, temp agencies can help place kids.  i got seasonal grunt work at the AAA, Macy’s and a summer camp thru an agency.  

 
Following, as my 11-year old is all about the benjamins and in the coming years I can see her getting something to pay for all her expensive habits.  She has already got "some" experience as a dog-sitter, which is great. 

Growing up, the only job I really had was a paperboy.  Did that for about a year.  Then in college I worked at our computer lab.  That was cake.

I will definitely push both of my spawn to get part-time jobs for the weekends and summer.  I wish I had done it myself.

 
Kid #1 worked at a car wash...made pretty good tip money.  He then spent a summer working construction labor...basically grunt work tearing out/building decks, digging holes, siding, etc.  He learned a few skills and got paid under the table.  Summer after senior year he pretty much did nothing.  He did a little Door Dash work, but it was minimal.  Probably wasn't good for him to pretty much do nothing, but he had a good nest egg already built up, so he wasn't hurting for $$.  He'll be home from college in 2 weeks and has a job lined up with an electronics manufacturer.  They are calling it an internship because he is now college age, but in truth, they are just hard up for employees.  He is not really sure exactly what he'll be doing yet, but probably will be some low level production line work.  I told him to snoop around, ask questions, and try to gain some insight on the engineering and design work going on there.  We'll see how it goes.

Kid #2 has been a lifeguard for 3 years and will do the same this summer.

 
Gally said:
Any thing in the food service/retail area.  It teaches them how not to treat people as customers are crappy and treat staff terribly.  By being subjected to that they learn it isn't the way to treat people.  A real life lesson that is drilled into you in these industries.  Plus it helps give them an idea of why it's important to get educated or learn a trade to make better money.
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This, 100% this.  
 

Also good on you @ChiefD, not enough of this happening nowadays imo.  Your kids are learning some great lessons.  

 
ChiefD said:
Yep. I worked for a catering company at 14 and bussed tables, washed dishes, set up buffet lines, stuff like that. In addition to the hard work you learn all kinds of cool weird stuff about life from the cooking staff. 
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So true.  I got a job at Chili's at 17 as a host.  I learned more weird stuff from the cooks in 2 years than I did in all of high school.

 
Stinkin Ref said:
golf courses are getting back to busy season....many around here are looking for all types of seasonal staff....course and restaurant etc....
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Both my kids worked at the golf course, specifically in the maintenance/ground crew.  Get up early, water greens, work a weed eater, spread mulch, rake sand traps. Get in and out by 10-11:00am, and work outside.  Also get to golf for free. Of course, not all teenagers like getting up at 5:30 in the summer.  

 
neal cassady said:
Both my kids worked at the golf course, specifically in the maintenance/ground crew.  Get up early, water greens, work a weed eater, spread mulch, rake sand traps. Get in and out by 10-11:00am, and work outside.  Also get to golf for free. Of course, not all teenagers like getting up at 5:30 in the summer.  
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You fill the water glass, replace the butter. If they drop a fork, you give them another one.

 
Captain Cranks said:
You sure about this? Going rate for pro service around me is $100/mth which includes weekly cuts during the growing season.
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All depends on market, around here it's $50 minimum per cut.

https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/lawn-and-garden/maintain-a-lawn/

Some lawn care pros will charge by the hour to mow your lawn. You can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $60 per hour.

On average, mowing your lawn ranges between $30 and $80 per visit. Most companies charge a flat rate per visit for grass cutting based on hourly rates or the size of your property.

 
neal cassady said:
Both my kids worked at the golf course, specifically in the maintenance/ground crew.  Get up early, water greens, work a weed eater, spread mulch, rake sand traps. Get in and out by 10-11:00am, and work outside.  Also get to golf for free. Of course, not all teenagers like getting up at 5:30 in the summer.  
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my son started at a golf course when he was 16....grounds....he was ok with getting up early....getting done early and the free golf for all of us was a bonus....he returned there every summer and then when "regular jobs" didn't pan out because of COVID etc....they welcomed him back....with all his experience he became the asst superintendent....and just became the head sup at a different course....worked out well for him

daughter worked at the concession stand in town for baseball games since she was about 12....guy that ran it paid her cash....she did that all the way through high school and made bank....could work almost every night/weekend day....eventually got a job as a server at the golf course where my son worked....made even more bank.....drunk golfers tip well

I also want to give a shout out for the referee/umpire mentions above....I cannot recommend a job more that that.....on a per hour basis it is one of the best paying jobs....and all communities are in high demand for officials because parents are doosh bags more than ever and nobody wants to do it anymore....but high school and even young teens can go out and umpire the little kids...you can make your own schedule....games every day of the week if you want.....just need to have some confidence and a thick skin....but you can make good money and really develop your people skills....

 
Stinkin Ref said:
I also want to give a shout out for the referee/umpire mentions above....I cannot recommend a job more that that.....on a per hour basis it is one of the best paying jobs....and all communities are in high demand for officials because parents are doosh bags more than ever and nobody wants to do it anymore....but high school and even young teens can go out and umpire the little kids...you can make your own schedule....games every day of the week if you want.....just need to have some confidence and a thick skin....but you can make good money and really develop your people skills....
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Yeah, that's how my oldest son started working at 14. Reffed soccer games and made about $25 an hour. Did that for two years and saved up enough money to pay for half of his car (my wife and I match whatever they save for a car).

He's proud of that car. Nothing fancy but he loves it.

 
Stinkin Ref said:
I also want to give a shout out for the referee/umpire mentions above....I cannot recommend a job more that that.....on a per hour basis it is one of the best paying jobs....and all communities are in high demand for officials because parents are doosh bags more than ever and nobody wants to do it anymore....but high school and even young teens can go out and umpire the little kids...you can make your own schedule....games every day of the week if you want.....just need to have some confidence and a thick skin....but you can make good money and really develop your people skills....
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Absolutely.  They are paid by age and range from home.  I believe the the U8 home games pay about $50ish.  Last weekend my daughter played her own hs game at Redwood (marin county- about 20-30 miles away), and reffed 3 games  (a mix of U12 and U14) nearby at Tamalpais HS with those being closer to $65/game.  games are about an hour long for those levels. 

Edit: with the season coming to an end, she will be looking for local tournaments to help throughout the summer and fall

 
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Ron Swanson said:
Lifeguards and pool attendants are in very shorty supply right now. Bonuses and pay are ramping up all over the country and there is still a massive shortage?

My first job? I was a migrant worker at 12. Picking blueberries. I don't recommend it.
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Ha! During the summer when I was 13 I worked at a blueberry farm in New Jersey. My title was Shed Boy. Saw lots of migrant workers working their way north (I think it was north).

 
My son has been reffing soccer for 2 years.  You get to pick and choose which tournaments you are available for (good since he was playing too) and can block off times, decline games etc.  One weekend he'd usually do 6 games games  and bank around 220 for 8 hrs of work.  They feed them too. Now that he's done playing :sadbanana: , he can pick up high school games while at college and make 60 a game and they usually do boys & girls together.

The best part is there's been such a shortage of refs they've been paying cash recently to entice more to come out. No taxes. 

 
Galileo said:
I've often thought about doing this.  I be retiring in a couple years (at age 57) with a little gas left in the tank.  I think this could be fun as heck, but then I remember the parents...  :scared:
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first game, you pick out the biggest dad and just beat the tar out of him

then red card the first kid who pipes up. establish dominance.

 
mr. furley said:
first game, you pick out the biggest dad and just beat the tar out of him

then red card the first kid who pipes up. establish dominance.
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I know this is a joke but too many officials go in with the attitude of establishing dominance and it sets a negative tone right from the get go.  

I found that being personable and approachable goes a long way to keeping parents on your side.  It's for the kids and if you have that attitude while officiating it really helps diffuse most situations and keep it fun.

 
My favorite teen jobs were caddying, and working at the mall. Malls are dead now, but it was Teen Tinder in 1990 dawg. 

I think I would rather have my kid caddy at a nice club, never know what kind of networking opportunities can happen there. 

 
Gally said:
I know this is a joke but too many officials go in with the attitude of establishing dominance and it sets a negative tone right from the get go.  

I found that being personable and approachable goes a long way to keeping parents on your side.  It's for the kids and if you have that attitude while officiating it really helps diffuse most situations and keep it fun.
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100%

 
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