Part-time jobs are most often available from restaurants and other service stations. Fast-food chains, grocery stores and gas stations all offer the teen a way to earn some extra money. While such places offer valuable experience in customer service, cash handling and responsibility, they offer little else. Often a teen will earn the minimum wage and have very little say in their schedules. They will likely have to work holidays, weekends and late nights (or early mornings) while the older workers enjoy the better regular hours.
What can a teen do to combat this problem and still make money on the side? Gifted and talented teens can look for jobs and attain them in other areas of the world of work. There are libraries who hire devoted students, computer companies crying for skilled workers and struggling students yearning for tutors. There are also outdoor jobs, jobs for sport coaches and summer camp jobs available. The most enjoyable jobs are those that allow students to pursue their interests. If they do not, they will generally be unhappy and less successful at their jobs.
Most teens have little work experience, and this is always a hindrance in finding a first job. Babysitting is a common first job, as is farmwork. By taking such a job, or by volunteering, some work experience can be collected on your resume. This is what employers look for, especially those who see hundreds of applications for each position.
A teen must take on a part-time job with discretion and responsibility. There are many other aspects to life as a teen, and a job can get in the way. Although money is important, so are school work and extracurricular activities. If a job takes up too much time, other activities like these must be sacrificed. If a teen spends too much time on the job, they are less likely to win a scholarship. Basically, scholarship donors want you to be a volunteer and community leader. They want you to be involved in extracurricular activities and rarely ask anything about work. So, if you plan on financing your future education with scholarships, don’t spend too much time at work, and visa
