Special Hot Topic: After-School Jobs
Your daughter is truly gifted on the computer… as a matter of fact, she can fix yours whenever it doesn’t work. Your son loves animals—he finds wounded critters and nurses them back to health in your backyard. Could they actually earn money doing what they love and do well? And should they?
Benefits of work for teens
It can be a great boost for your teen’s ego to earn a salary and have responsibility. It’s also a great opportunity for kids to learn to deal with a boss, who is a different authority figure than a parent. This fosters flexibility and maybe even a little respect (if he gets a good boss!). Typically, a teenager is going to make minimum wage ($5.85 an hour) but there are jobs that offer a little more. The experience of learning new skills and being around a diverse group of adults and other teens is invaluable.
Earning for college or extras is great, but don’t overdo it
Teens who work more than 20 hours a week tend to do poorly in school, academic achievement, class attendance, time spent on homework, and attitudes toward school among both working and non-working students. A child who comes home too exhausted from work has less energy for his studies and may bypass some great opportunities for volunteering or after-school activities.
Getting organized
The job itself starts with searching for a job. There are a few ways to go about finding them:
The school bulletin board often lists available positions
Word of mouth can be the best way to find work—let everyone know you’re looking
Local classified ads—a good way to get involved in the community
The Internet—you can search job sites by zip code
Ideas for teen businesses
If your teen wants a job, but can’t bear the thought of pumping gas, working the supermarket check-out counter, or serving burgers, they may want to try their own venture. Here are a few ideas:
Babysitting
Computer training or repair
Bicycle repair
Craft or jewelry sales
Tutoring (particularly foreign languages and math)
House cleaning
Your teen may become an entrepreneur or may just earn a few extra dollars for the college fund or a car. But there are great benefits to an after-school job that go way beyond the money.