Best Summer Jobs for Teens
As someone who has worked with teens every day for the past 30 years, I can tell you that the best jobs for teens are things they already love doing. You’re never going to do a job well if you don’t inherently love what you’re doing. Just as students should try and find extracurricular activities they love, when you’re looking for the best job as a teen, ask yourself, “What do I love?” and “What am I good at?”
The Best Jobs For Teens Involve What They Already Love
When I was a teen, I was lucky that what I was good at was also something I was good at: school! My first paying customer for my own best job as a teenager came from across the street. I was a Harvard student home for the summer, and my neighbor needed help studying for the SAT. I’d tutored before then, but never for money. Thirty-five years later, tutoring is how I make the bulk of my income now!
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What If the Best Job for a Teen Is Starting Their Own Business?
If you’ve decided that the best job for your teen is entrepreneurial in nature, they might need to get used to marketing themselves. One low-pressure way to get your first customers if you’re shy, introverted, or just not used to selling yourself is to get friends and family to do your “selling” for you – especially online. If you’re a member of Facebook groups of your target clients, for example, when another member posts looking for someone who does what you do, get a friend or family member in the group to sing your praises. Not only is it easier for the introvert, but the community will also probably value someone else’s assessment of you more than your own.
Making the Best Job for Teens Work Requires Creativity
One mistake people make when trying to find the best job for teens is doing the same thing they’ve always done and expecting a different result. I once had a colleague who refused to try doing Facebook Live videos, even though I shared that I’d found two clients that way. To paraphrase Henry Ford, she didn’t think she could do it, so she didn’t. And her business stagnated as a result. Getting outside your comfort zone, however, might yield new and fruitful results.
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finding your best teen job can lead to a great college essay
When I first started coaching students through the college essay writing process, I read a blog post advising students to not write about camp counseling. Evidently, the author thought this topic was too clichéd. I’ve had students write amazing essays that got them accepted to their first-choice colleges — and win full ride scholarships! — writing about “mundane” jobs. The reason those essays worked is that the jobs taught the writer meaningful lessons about themselves and the world.
Conclusion
It might not be easy to find the best job for teens , but with some introspection, creativity, and networking, you can land an ideal job for summer — and create experiences that won’t provide just a paycheck, but also fodder for your college essays whether you’re writing this summer or this fall!