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An Honest Day's Work: Summer Jobs for Youth

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By GreatSchools Staff
 

Other Options

Job shadowing/internships/volunteering

The most valuable work experiences and preparation for future jobs may not always pay a salary. A good way to learn about a particular profession is to shadow someone for a few hours a week. A student interested in medicine, for example, could arrange to shadow a doctor or nurse. If shadowing is not an option and your teenager is interested in health care, he can contact health-oriented organizations such as the American Red Cross or local hospitals, many of whom will gladly welcome volunteers.

Check these sites to help find volunteer opportunities in a variety of fields:

1-800-Volunteer.org
This site will connect your son or daughter with volunteer opportunities in your community.

Points of Light Foundation
From this site, you can find the volunteer center in your local community.

Follow the Rules

Federal and state regulations for youth employment

Federal and state governments set rules regarding youth employment. According to federal law, a teenager must be at least 14 years old to work. Those who are 14 or 15 cannot work past 9 p.m. in the summer, and not past 7 p.m. during the school year. There are exemptions for certain jobs, however. If your teenager works as an actor, for example, the number of work hours in one day and allowable times of day to work do not apply.

If your teenager is 16 or 17, she may be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation except those declared hazardous (such as working with power-driven meat slicers, grinders or choppers) by the secretary of labor. States then set specific rules for youth in their state. In Kentucky, for example, 14- and 15-year-olds can't work in such areas as coal mining, logging, meatpacking or slaughtering. Check your state regulations before your son or daughter starts looking for a job.

Under federal law, employers do not have to pay the prevailing minimum wage for employees under age 20 for a limited period (90 calendar days) when they are first employed.

In some states, workers under age 18 may need to obtain working papers from either their school or the state Department of Labor in order to seek employment.

 
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Comments from GreatSchools.org readers

07/8/2009:
"Maybe they can have more jobs for 15 and 16 year olds.That way when they are juniors or seniors they can already knoe about;responsibility,and getting along with others!"
06/2/2008:
"Summer is starting in a week, I am playing baseball during the summer and I want a job. I am 15 and I have no work experience except for helping my dad with our bar. What type of job will have flexible hours,( I don't want to work for my dad)."
03/20/2008:
"Maybe you should have some ideas on summer jobs for 13 year olds. They don't have to be big jobs ,but maybe some options would be nice. "
03/5/2008:
"How can I get an application for summer youth employment for my grandson?"
03/4/2008:
"This website had good information. I would have liked to see summer camps and programs of that nature on the site."
02/27/2008:
"my son is 11 and wants a job so he can help pay his way or have money to spend i think is a good idea"
02/26/2008:
"Thank you for all your recomendations about everything"
05/4/2007:
"my son is 15 and he realy likes working and wanted to meet other kids. thank u for that artical"
04/30/2007:
"well i'm 13 and i'll be turning 14 on July 8. will I still be able you work then?"
04/17/2007:
"I have a student who is 13 years old and wants to work part-time. Her family is in financial crisis, and she wants to do her part. She is seeking other financial resources (i.e., donations), but she is especially interested in finding a paid position. She is in Orange County, California. Is there any place she could legally work?"
04/16/2007:
"Hi. I'm going to start off asking: 'what's a job that looks excellent on your college application, makes $7-$9 an hour, is only twice a week, (3-4 hours each day) works with kids and allows you to use your math skills, oral communication skills, English skills and the best part is: YOU CAN GET THIS JOB WHEN YOU'RE ONLY 13 YEARS OLD' well, its a job at a KUMON MATH & READING center as an educator's assistant. As a 12 year old, I will be working at my local kumon center as of August 2007. I have been doing Kumon myself for 5 years now, have progressed through the math levels greatly,I plan to save for college, and I cannot wait till I start my job. This was a great article. "
04/9/2007:
"Great article. I am having problems finding my soon volunteer work. He is 13 and will turn 14 in August. Most volunteer programs want 14 years olds. I think that there should be a program for 13 year olds who don't want to sit in a camp all summer but who would like to volunteer or gain some knowledge of the workforce"
03/28/2007:
"This article is excellent. Great ideas for teens to find jobs. Thanks."
06/28/2006:
"Thank you for this useful information. My 13 year old daughter is always annoying when shes bored. So now she can have fun and make new friends, while earning money for herself. Thanks again!!"
05/11/2006:
"As a parent of a teen - THANK YOU!!!!! "
04/24/2006:
"This was an extremely helpful article, my children are 13 and 15"
03/16/2006:
"i think that this is a good idea. what will make it better is if the children(teenagers) could fill out applications online it would make it seem more profesional and it would also be easier. they won't have to carry all of those papers around."
03/6/2006:
"I remember when I was a child of my sons age which is 11, I was able to find work outside of my home. It went a long way to helping me learn about responsibility, being dependable and earning a paycheck. I am now 41 and looking to do something similar for my son. Does anyone out there have any suggestions on where I can begin?"
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