How to Find a Summer Job

A summer job is a great experience for teens. It gives a sense of accomplishment to earn your own paycheck. You can pay for your own expenses and learn to save for larger purchases, like a car or jewelry. Besides money, the maturity and skills you earn makes you attractive to colleges and future employers.

Having a summer job is a smart way to spend your free time. This is the perfect way to explore your career goals. It is also a great time to try something interesting. Do you want to work in a bakery, as a pet sitter, or dress up like a clown? Take risks and treat the summer job as an exciting new experience.

Here are a few tips to help you find a summer job:

• Find your interest. A good starting point is figuring out what you like or want to learn more about. You may want to gain skills in a certain career or simply find out more about an occupation. Perhaps, you just want extra money. Knowing what you expect from a summer job will help you focus your efforts.

• Rely on your strengths. In a slow economy older workers tend to take traditionally teen jobs. An experienced 45 year old motivated to take care of their family can be stiff competition. Make sure you stress what makes you attractive as a teenage worker. Talk up your flexibility and target jobs that need employees on the weekends and at nights when people with outside responsibilities are unavailable. Let them know you are good with computers and social media. Small businesses need people familiar with social media to market their business.

• Meet with school counselors. Your counselor not only has solid advice for a job search they also have contacts. They may even have an internship/ job board with plenty of jobs to pursue.

• Consider the Feds. If money is your main motivation, look into a federal job. Positions with the government start at $10 an hour. Plus they have jobs set aside specifically for teens in places like community centers, YMCA’s and clerical jobs on military bases. To land a gig higher than the minimum wage, check out .

• Rally the troops. You have a built in network of family and friends who want to see you succeed. Enlist them to spread the word that you are looking for a summer job. Finding you the ultimate job can be as simple as a search on their linked account. Or you can even ask them to update their status on Facebook announcing their teen is looking for a job. With six degrees of separation social media is a very powerful tool.

• Hit the streets. Local businesses often need outside help. Go door to door at restaurants and stores and offer your services. Local businesses are also a great way to learn skills. Do you want to become a lawyer or a vet? Give the establishments in your area a call. Working in a local office will give you a behind the scene look at what the careers is all about. You may have to volunteer at first to get your foot in the door. However, the experience is invaluable and often results in a paid summer job down the line.