Summer jobs for teens and college students.

[heartofmine]

I'm just wondering if its as bad in your area as it is here to try and find a summer job. My dd has 1 more semester of college and desperately needs a summer job to help pay expenses. With gas prices so high she will have to find something local because she can't afford on minimum wage to drive to another town to work (most other places are at least a 40 minute to an hour drive). Most places are not hiring and that includes fast food places. Just praying something pans out for her soon.

[dancemommy]

Yeah, nothing much here either. The situation here is that there are so many (many illegal) immigrants that will work full time for minimum wage that there are no seasonal openings for teens. We live in an upper middle class suburban area and they come in by the van load to work in this area. While I am understanding that they need to make a (meager) living to support their families, it is a pity that there are so few jobs for teens. We have a small family business and can hire my teen for a few hours a week, but really not enough. So, our kids are lounging by the pool- not by choice, but because it is cheap- no gas needed and they cannot afford to go anywhere!

[bonnotsm9]

My teen has been looking for 2 months without success.

[piney]

It so bad here it not just teens and summer jobs it people with family can't find work and don't look like it going to get any better.

[Libby]

I'm wondering if your teens could make up flyers and drop them in mailboxes or post at the local grocery store bulletin boards. Offer any general labour assistance and mention on the posting that its a teen looking for a summer job. I'd like to think that the human spirit is stronger and kinder then we know it to be and that someone is willing to take on a kid to assist them with doing yard work or home repair/home cleaning or walk their dog etc. Regarding the 'bondable' issue - have the kids offer to work while the person is present in the house so they can be supervised?

Another thought - would this be a great time to have your teens offer to do volunteer work? This way they will have gained experience over the summer at something vs nothing. Would look great on transcripts, applications and resumes. Plus its networking - who knows where volunteering could lead you. (Thats how I got my jobs/careers)

[Neeley]

It really isn't bad here at all. We seem to have the opposite problem; jobs, but no reliable employees.

DD has been working part-time for the minor league baseball team in our city for three years, during the spring and summer months only. (We do not want the kids working during school so we only allow them to get spring/summer jobs. Between volunteering, and school they really do not have time to work anyway.)

She also will be working full-time at an ophthalmologists' office(three ophthalmologists and one optometrist in practice together) this summer. She'll be filing patient charts, making copies, etc...The office even paid for 3 sets of new scrubs for her to wear. They know she will only be there 3 months and are fine with it.

Once college starts up in August, she won't be working at all. She is going away to college and we do not want her working while in school.

My niece also recently got a job and they are working her to death. She is 17, going to school and working 40 hours a week. Her employers said they cannot find enough employees. Same is true with DD's boyfriend. He is an assistant manager and keeps asking me if I know anyone who wants a job. He is having to work after school M-F and then 12-15 hour days on the weekends because he is so understaffed.

We do live in a large city with two large cities on either side of us. Lots of businesses, restaurants, etc...Wonder if that has anything to do with it?

[heartofmine]

My daughter is 24 and has 1 more semester of college doing her student teaching so she needs a paying job right now. She's been out again today putting in applications and picking up more. She's not being picky and applying wherever she can. Hopefully something will come up. Fliers are a good idea.

[Debbie-cat]

My son just finished his first year of university and can not find anything. So frustrating for him.

[joyofsix]

My 19 yo and 17yo have been beating the bushes but no real luck. They need a job but it needs to be within 20 miles or lots of hours to compensate for gas. I'm not sure if college can continue without a job. He is doing yard work and she's cleaning for a lady but it's not enough $$$.

[happymomof4]

My 19 yr old is lucky she got a job 2 yrs ago at a local grocery store and they also have a store near her college. So she transfors back and forth between the 2 stores.

My 22 yr old graduated from the local police academy and can't get a job he is working at Walmart for now. He is trying to get his security act so he can work for a local amusment park during the summer.

[dinah]

what about working in a daycare during the summer months? they often need people to cover vacations and to supervise all the school-age kids that go to daycares in the summer.

i always worked at daycares in the summer as a student.

[krbshappy71]

Ask everybody and their dog if they have work for your teen. We got some good leads out of this and at the risk of "jinxing" things (my mom's term) my teen may have a job, she'll find out tomorrow. Its a babysitting job within walking distance which will help rule out the high gas prices. I personally limited both of my teens to jobs within walking distance because car-repairs-happen and groundings-happen so they needed to be able to get to work in the event of not having a vehicle. My job/jobs have always taken priority over theirs (as they pay more than min wage) so they've had to make do with that situation as well.

Grandma even paid my teen to help with yard work. This included lunch (aren't grandmas great that way?) and they had a good time together. Don't know if you have family nearby but if so, hit them up! Really! Wouldn't you do the same for them if you could? Just a thought.

[wanderlusting]

here are some suggestions off the top of my head:

-mothers helper
-she could watch a few kids during summer break
-she could get a CNA license (I think it took 2 weeks to get mine) and work in a nursing home. Nursing homes seem to ALWAYS need CNA's

[FrugalKate]

Our local paper is always advertising for paper routes. Maybe a paper route?

[Momto5RN]

my 20yo college student works as a waitress at the same restuarant she started out at as a hostess at age 16 1/2.

my 17 yo is my babysitter so i can work - i have told him to try to get a summer job if he wants and i will work my visits in around his schedule and his 14 yo sister can watch the 10 yo too if needed a but he kind of likes getting paid to be in his PJs watching his little brother and thats tax free too lol I know he has friends that have alot of issues trying to get jobs .

one big thing PLEASE have your kids read the many articles out there on dos and donts at job interviews.
My dh has had highly intelligent college grads say or put something on the company survey they use to get to know the person better - that basically knocked them out of the running.

one question was what is something you want us to know
about you 'one guy put when i am done my work i will read my german or italian books ( he speaks reads both ) sounds like a better answer than playing on a computer BUT catch is at this job you shouldnt expect to be able to finish work and read - and if you do you should go looking to do or learn something new work wise.

another guy put he likes to do judo at his desk during his lunch break ( okay and hopefully not hurt anyone sitting near you while doing it )

another stopped the interviewer to answer a phone call and then text someone else.