By Alvina Brown

Between sports, friends, social media, and events outside of school, teenagers barely have time for a job, let alone need one. Everything they want to do can be done online. But there are some teens out there who still want to get their hands dirty and gain some experience in the process.

Appropriate jobs for teenagers can range from working at an animal shelter to volunteering for something they believe in.

Not only do these jobs build character and keep them out of trouble, but they also provide money that can be useful for the future, whether it’s a savings account or extra money for things they want to do.

Here is a list of part-time jobs teens can do:

Animal Shelter

Does your savvy little one enjoy animals? Lead them to the nearest animal shelter or dog walking company. Animal shelters usually pay minimum wage to hang out with the animals and make sure their cages are clean.

Is your savvy one about to go to college? This job provides hands-on experience for a future in veterinarian care. For more information, check out the Human Societies Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer at Your Local Animal Shelter.

Babysitting

Babysitting is the tried-and-true method for teenagers to make money. Babysitting usually occurs during the weekends while the parents are busy, and it pays well. Word of mouth referrals are important when it comes to gaining new clients.

CPR-certified babysitters are always high in demand. Local YMCA’s and the Red Cross offer a CPR course regularly for a fee.

Babysitters are able to set their own hours and their own pay, making it a perfect job for busy teenagers. Websites like Care.com and Sittercity.com are great resources to get started.

Grocery Store Employee

Have you been at the grocery store lately and watched a teenager bagging your groceries who is probably not much older than your savvy one? Some grocery stores start hiring at 16 years old. The good thing about grocery stores is that there are different positions available; workers can stock shelves, gather carts, bag groceries, or do clean up.

Also the shifts are strenuously long and merchandise discounts are available for employees. Some grocery stores, like Trader Joe’s, have their employees work at different locations every time they work.

Personal Assistant

Teenagers already know the rigorous schedule of managing multiple projects, filing away homework, and working on deadlines, so they make the perfect personal assistant. They can run errands, like going to the grocery store for a family member, taking out a neighbor’s trash or walking their dog. This job also allows them to create their own hours and pay.

Informing as many people as possible about their personal assistant services will provide the best results. Just like babysitting, once you build a big enough clientele, money and service request will come in.

Tutoring

Tutoring is a great way for teens to earn a little extra cash. When tutoring, they are usually doing something they are good at or enjoy doing. Tutoring allows teens to make their own schedules and add something impressive to their resumes.

While tutoring, they will gain a sense of fulfillment. They are helping something who actually needs their help. In the future, they may form a type of relationship where the one being tutored can turn to them for guidance.

Web Designer/Computers

This generation is the future of technology. Encourage your niece or nephew to help someone do what they already do on a daily basis: play on their phone, computer or tablet. Many people are struggling with the advancement of technology and need help or someone to do it for them.

Teenagers can do this from home and control the amount of work they do and the pay. While doing so, they can build a part-time business that can carry them much further than high school.

Teenagers have different motivations for getting part-time jobs, whether it be for the money, fulfillment, or because their parents told them to. Some of these jobs don’t pay the greatest or offer the greatest schedules, but the lessons learned will be worth it. By physically doing work for someone else, they learn about accountability, responsibility, money, time management, people skills and professionalism, as they build a character that can succeed after high school graduation.

What kind of job did you have in high school? What job do you think should be added to this list? How do you feel about your nieces or nephews having a job in high school?

Photo: Photostock

Published: October 1, 2014