Teaching children the value of money is a skill that will carry them all through their life. Job skills can be learned at an early age, however, in most states teens must be at least 16 years of age in order to work in a "real job." For many teens, doing chores around the home (even for pay) may not seem like a real job and they will not feel the pride or self-worth that they would feel for working for someone else. But, with a little creativity there are other jobs that teens can do for the summer or even after school and on weekends.

The first key to finding a job is to think about what people in the community need either through observation or by talking to members in the community. The second thing to consider is what does the teen enjoy doing and what are they skilled at. Take a sheet of paper and draw divide it into three coulmns. In one column write "what I am skilled at," in the 2nd column write "what I enjoy doing," in the 3rd column write "community needs." Then, proceed to fill up the columns. Cross-reference the columns and see which statements match up. For example, if a teen enjoys dogs, their are a lot of dogs in the neighborhood, and he or she is skilled at doggy care then some career opportunities might be: dog-walking, dog-sitting, or dog-grooming.

After a job has been established, a teen needs to advertise. Parents and teen can use word-of-mouth, make fliers and hang in prominent locations, or even take an ad out in the local newspaper. Get the word out there with the service, hours of service, reliable contact information, and the price. Even if only one person asks for the service, still offer it instead of giving up and quitting. If that one person is happy you might get referrals.

Expect to put some money into the job, for example: purchasing supplies or the cost of advertising. Also, purchase a reciept book to write out reciepts for customer's payments. This will help customers feel secure with the services as well as help ateen to keep a record of earnings and payments made (so no payment will go unnoticed or skipped). Also keep a filing system for the reciepts, advertising, and reciepts for supplies purchased and any other pertinent paperwork.

When looking for jobs, avoid food-related tasks. There are state regulations and licenses that must be adhered too, and not following these can lead to trouble. Especially if someone ends up sick. The days of the Lemonade Stand by the side of the road are gone.

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Beyond babysitting: Money-earning tips for preteens or teens not yet eligible for "real jobs"?
We want to hear your view. Write now!