Summer Jobs Can Improve Work Ethic – Help Your Teen Land One

Helping your children develop a positive work ethic is a priority for all parents, but it can be difficult in today’s modern world to discern whether we’re doing the right thing with all the other priorities out there to juggle. If you have teenagers, helping them develop confidence in their work ethic is essential. Here are a few steps your son or daughter can take to land a job this summer:

Expand your social network. Contact family and friends to let them know your teen is looking for work. Check out neighborhoods near you that may have trustworthy websites and/or social media sites that may post help wanted notices for appropriate jobs for teens. If your child already has a service to offer, such as babysitting or mowing lawns, help them post to these sites and offer their services. Just be sure to screen the responses and make it known that your child’s parent is involved.

Send them back to camp. But this time, as a counselor. If your child already knows the ropes at a particular summer camp, or if he is already interested in a particular subject, like music or marine biology, his help may be invaluable to a summer camp organizer looking to hire someone to guide younger kids in that subject matter. Help your teen with a web search on summer camps in your area that align with his interests and go from there. Be sure to check out local governments and nearby parks for camps being held there, as well.

Let them volunteer. Don’t ignore volunteerism as a way to develop a strong work ethic in your teen this summer. It looks great on a resume and is a definite character builder and can help them navigate interests for potential careers. Many large national organizations – like American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels  have local offices where you can offer your help, in addition to other volunteer opportunities that may be available in your area. Make sure you stress to your teen that there are plenty of other causes – no matter how tiny – that can have a huge impact on your community and on them.

Bring them to the office. If you own a business and can use your teen’s help, hire them. Whether it’s filing, making copies, answering phones, or grabbing coffee, a part-time job can help them branch out and ready themselves for the adult world.

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