BEST FIRST JOBS: Self Employ vs Company

Neighborhood Jobs: Self Employ

* Our Success Secrets to get, and keep neighborhood jobs.*

 BABYSITTER

To be the babysitter the kids beg for, create your own ‘kid camp.’  Always bring something with you like board games, card games, dance, fun kid exercise, kitchen fun (like making slime), and make dining room tents.  Do activities which do not include sitting in front of a television.  Take walks, bike rides, walk pets etc. 

     Bring baked goods, or bake on site. (ALWAYS check if kids have any food allergies first!) 

(Always clear everything you do with the parents in advance,

but, never in front of the kids.)

 DOG WALKER

When we enjoy pets and being outside this is THE BEST.  It doesn’t pay very well unless we have a few clients, but a terrific first job which teaches us all the first job lessons.

 HANDY PERSON

It helps to have experience fixing things around the house or outside, but some neighbors will teach us what they want us to do.  This can work into a very well paying adventure. 

 HOUSE CLEANING

If we take on this challenge we need to love cleaning so we do the best job. Have clients teach exactly what they want and expect, then look for things which need to be done and suggest them.  This helps us gain trust in our clients and get more hours.  It also makes us more invaluable to our clients AND word of mouth is the main reason we gain more jobs in the private sector.

 CAR WASH / VEHICLE DETAILER

Washing Cars can pay pretty well as long as we are the best at it.  We need to learn what ‘detail’ means when we clean cars.  Include drying them to get water spots off, cleaning wheels and tires and getting in-between the ‘slots’ like door jams and car rubber etc..  This job is best when the client purchases the product.  We only want to use what they are used to using.  Certain products can cause damage and permanent white spots. 

  Detailing is INSIDE the car.  Also, we have to pay attention to detail.  It’s harder than ‘washing’ the outside and we need to always remember the ‘toothbrush tricks.’  Toothbrush clean means we clean every crevasse inside a car, clean the windows, make sure floor mats are clean and car is vacuumed in every space we can reach.  When we are the very best at this, word of mouth gets us jobs pretty quickly. 

 CARE-GIVER

We are not talking about ‘professional care giving’ which requires professional schooling.  This is just helping folks doing laundry, maybe preparing a meal, taking out trash and other small jobs.  These jobs are usually available with senior neighbors and neighbors who are just out of hospital or ill.  (Make sure it’s not something contagious like the flu.)  The best way to get the word out we are available for this work is an upbeat flyer throughout the neighborhood.  It’s also one of the jobs which gives us a lot of free time to enjoy our summer.

 CATERING

When we enjoy cooking, this can become very lucrative and so much fun.

Seniors host bridge and other social events all the time.  Take samples of food over to see what we can offer.  Also anyone in the neighborhood who may be ill, just out of hospital, have someone in the family who is ill, may need someone to cook meals for them.  Although it is a little harder to seek out these opportunities, it can be done with a simple flyer through the neighborhood, or a flyer on our community’s bulletin board.  Please be an experienced cook before attempting this.

 LANDSCAPE / LAWN CARE 

Likely we need our parents to invest in us for this job.  We need good equipment: lawn mower, weed eater, edger & contractor style trash bags. HOWEVER…..This is perhaps, one of THE MOST LUCRATIVE jobs in the private sector.  We talked with a lot kids who paid of their cars in two summers or built a great college bank for themselves every summer.  They almost all said they always had money when they needed it.

   If we are really detailed in lawn work, ‘get in and get it done’ to go on to the next one, we can make great money.  If we ALWAYS do a great job word of mouth spreads like wildfire in the neighborhood constantly getting us new jobs. (Be careful….it’s okay to say NO if we are getting more than we can handle.  Do NOT take on too much.) 

    In the south this can be a year round job.  In the north it can turn into a SNOW SHOVELING JOB which also pays well.  Some teens said they spent their first winter saving up to buy a snow blower so they could take on more clients and make a lot more money.

 PET SITTER

Some people prefer private sitters over kennels.  This can be any kind of pet.  We have to make sure we spend a good bit of time with the pet owners to learn about the pets, especially if it’s not just the standard dog or cat we are sitting for.  Also, we have to find out if we are sitting inside their home or ours.  Our families might not appreciate us bringing strange pets into our homes.  This is also one of the top favorites among teens who love pets.  The best way to get the word out can be telling all our friends to let their parents know we are available as well as print up a cute, upbeat flyer to pass our throughout the neighborhood and/or put on community bulletin boards.  It’s not usually a high paying job, but a great first job which gives us time to enjoy the rest of our summer, as it takes very little time in most cases.  Prepare yourself…it’s likely ALWAYS a job where we will be cleaning up after pets. 

 TUTOR

Even in the summer there can be tutoring jobs in our neighborhood.  Lots of parents want their kids to keep up with school or get ahead for the upcoming year.

During the school year, see if there is a bulletin board at school or in the clubhouses in our neighborhood where we can advertise we are available as well as letting student counselors, teachers and neighbors know personally.

 WORK FROM HOME JOBS

Be very wary of these offers, some can be real, SOME ARE SCAMS. 

However, if we are disciplined we can actually make decent money with at home jobs and we make our own schedules. Do research; check Better Business Bureau and the internet to thoroughly check out the company before even applying to at home jobs.  Kids have said there are few ‘real’ and ‘good’ ones that they could find. 

NEVER take on an in-home job if the company asks for ‘an investment’

to set up. WHEN IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE; DO NOT APPLY,

Professional Jobs: Work for Company

* Our Tips for successful, professional first jobs.*

 BARISTA

Coffee shops seem to always be hiring.  When we enjoy people, this is a great opportunity.  (Caution though….if you have any kind of skin allergies, this is not the job for you as several kids said the steam made their situations worse.)

BOYS / GIRLS CLUB   YMCA

This can be a fun, entergetic and rewarding first job. If we like working with kids there are many opportunities available in this area.

 CAMP COUNSELOR

This can be a paying, or volunteer position and everyone we spoke with who tried this absolutely loved it.  Although kid camps are the most popular we found. they also loved the camps for seniors, persons with disabilities and pet camps.  There are many positions in camps, not just counselor.  We can work the kitchen, activities, cleaning or a myriad of other opportunities which can lead of up counselor. Volunteer jobs tend to lead to paying jobs. Also, the volunteer hours can help us get scholarships and look great on resumes.

 CAR WASH / DETAILER

This can be a pretty tough first job, yet also enjoyable.  Anyone who enjoys working on cars may enjoy making them shine.  Usually minimum wage, we might want to seek out places where employees receive tips for a great job.  The secret is doing such a good job the return customers request us.  That’s where the tips come from. 

 CASHIER

Including, but not limited to:  fast food, drug stores, clothing stores or grocery stores.  We need to really enjoy people, have an upbeat spirit, enjoy a very fast pace as well as enjoy quiet down times.  Many of these positions will allow us

to study during down times as long as our other responsibilities are maintained.

It’s okay to ask if we are allowed to use quiet times to study as long as it never interferes with our work or our customer service.

CATERING STAFF

Also one of the tougher jobs, but can also be very fun. Caterers are always looking for extra hands for set up and clean up. This can work into upper

positions with the company if we always maintain a great work ethic and

positive spirit. We can learn a lot of important ethics which we take throughout our future careers.

CONCESSION (Kids sporting events)

 It’s a little harder to find and get these jobs, because kids love them so much they don’t leave once they get the jobs. It’s always a job which gives us all the free time we enjoy. If we love sports and people, this is an amazing first job.

DEPARTMENT STORES

Also offers a myriad of jobs to try: Stock, Cashier, Customer Service and more.  We learned kids said the lack of formal training in some of the bigger department stores hindered their potential to be a good employee.  (This pertained to the bigger, more popular mall style department stores.)

We heard over and over that the biggest frustration with the bigger department stores is the lack of training and expectations to do a good job without it, so it’s hard to recommend this as a first job, however, jobs are somewhat available and usually near where we live, (AND almost always hiring during holidays)  So, if this is where we have to start, we need to be prepared going in to it knowing we are likely going to have to ‘self train’ from other employees.  It may be hard, but it is okay to ask someone when we feel we need more training.  Worst thing that can happen is they say ‘no’ and we have to do some self training anyway.  Buddy up with another employee willing to share tips, but DO NOT get involved in negative conversations about management or lack of training by others.  Find someone upbeat and willing to help in a positive manner.   It certainly would be best to have a friend or acquaintance who works there, so we can prepare ourselves prior to taking the job.

HOWEVER, the lack of training is NOT THE CASE in all the department stores of course.  Many kids had a lot of wonderful positive comments about their department store jobs.  It’s all a matter of ‘feeling out the situation’ and figuring out if it’s a right fit. Talk to employees and friends who work there prior to applying.

 GAME ROOMS – VIDEO GAME SALES

Into video games?  THESE are the jobs for you.  Game rooms are starting to pop back up all over the country and game sales stores are everywhere.  To get these jobs we do need a very versatile knowledge of games.  These jobs are very competitive, so somewhat difficult to get, but not impossible.  Apply as many times as we need to until a position opens up for us.

In the meantime, we can work another job until something opens up.

 GOLF COURSE EMPLOYEE

If we love the game and enjoy working outside, this can become the best job for us.  Some courses let us practice during off times, some give us discounts to use the course.

Golf courses may offer jobs like grounds keeping, water line repair, mowing, edging, tree trimming, lake cleaning, cleaning & cart maintenance, restaurant, or store.  Very few courses offer caddies, unless very high end.  We need to personally seek out friends or relatives who want caddies.  Word of mouth can get us these jobs if we are very good at it.  We can also meet folks who need caddies through working at the course. This is another kid’s favorite first job.

 GROCERY STORE EMPLOYEE

This offers many opportunities; cashier, bag person, stock, produce, bakery and more.  The bigger chain stores seem to train well and offer us opportunities to grow with the company with additional training.  We MUST love working with people, able to keep a smile when customers aren’t happy, and ALWAYS have a positive attitude and strong work ethic. It can be hard work but finding ways to be the best employee can make this ‘job’ into a good career.

HOBBY SHOP

If we enjoy hobbies this can be a really fun place to work.

 INDEPENDENT  STORES, MALL STORES & KIOSKS

Shoe Stores seem to be the favorite of mall stores.  Vans Shoes is the most popular because they train well, have a great attitude for us during good and tough times and most kids we spoke with were allowed to study during quiet times as long as all their work was done and it never interfered with customer service. There are many independent mall stores who do the same. Talk to employees before accepting these jobs. We can find a perfect fit for first job in the independent stores.   Kiosks were the least favorite except for ones who sell toys during holiday season, or kiosks which demonstrate things.  We heard the word ‘boring’ a lot where kiosks are concerned, BUT, some kids liked that as it was actually a break from their otherwise hectic lives. We need to be willing to ‘grab’ the public to get their attention to our wares.

There are independent stores everywhere. Ice Cream Shops, Natural Food Restaurants & Smoothy Places seem to be the favorite. Look for those ‘help wanted’ signs on the door of independent jobs available, as some of the smaller places are less likely to internet advertise.

 LANDSCAPE / LAWN CARE (Company) This is a great opportunity for health conscience kids, athletes and kids who love the benefits of hard work.  It is hard and hot work most of the time, but a great way to build stamina, keep fit in the summer, get tan, work with a team and work outside.  A company generally starts us out at a bit more than minimum wage, so attempting to do this job on our own, in our neighborhood can be more lucrative.

 LIFEGUARD

Check early on what training is needed before applying to this position.  If we are good swimmers some places will train on site.  Others suggest getting training at Boys and Girls Clubs or places like the YMCA.   This is terrific for those of us who love to be outside and love water: Beaches, Pools, Lakes and Rivers in our area likely all use lifeguards in swim areas.  Even neighborhood specific pools use lifeguards.

 MOVIE THEATER

Also very popular among teens; a majority of kids enjoyed their positions at theaters no matter what the position was.  They did say we need to like every age of people and have a great deal of patience and great customer skills to be happy, as it is a fast paced job.  When we work concession we can’t care about getting stuff spilled on us either.  The nice thing about this job is it’s one of the few which is so popular but yet we can still get jobs there.  We found many movie theaters around the country who will hire at 15 years old as well.

 PIZZA DELIVERY

We were surprised to find out this can be pretty lucrative.  We MUST have a very dependable vehicle, can handle traffic, be careful which neighborhoods we work in & enjoy a fast pace.  MOST pizza places want delivery kids to have a certain amount of driving experience, and NO DRIVING CITATIONS.

 PIZZA RESTAURANT

Also a kid’s favorite.  A fairly great percentage of kids said they loved their jobs.  Be prepared for being in the heat and enjoying customer service.   It can be extremely fast paced and sometimes we have to deal with some pretty upset or demanding people.  Most of  the kids interviewed said they were allowed to study during quiet times as long as their work is done, however, the quiet time opportunities are fewer than in mall stores. Although popular among teens, these jobs are still fairly available.

 POOL CLEANER

This can be a fun job for those who enjoy being outside and great exercise to build us up. However, there is a lot to learn, chemicals to deal with and we work on our knees a lot.   Unless we have previous experience we need to work for a pool company at first, learn everything we can before attempting to be a pool cleaner for our neighbors.  A lot can go wrong; can even be dangerous, when cleaning pools.  If the neighbor only wants net cleaning, tile cleaning, scrubbing and vacuuming their pool, and we don’t have to deal with chemicals, then we can clean pools in the neighborhood. 

 RESTAURANTS

Wow, are there a lot of opportunities in restaurants: bus person, dishwasher, food preparation, cashier, wait staff, valet and more.  The more stars a restaurant has, the more potential for a good income and we get THE BEST TRAINING.  Fast food restaurants offer cashier, cook, food preparation, food runner, drive through and more.  Fast food restaurants are not a favorite choice for a first job, however, they are the most available and easiest to get.  (See “STUDENT TESTIMONIALS” for more on fast food restaurants.) The greatest advice and ‘warnings’ we continuously heard was staying out of the gossip among employees.  DO NOT be pulled into conversations about other employees, management and especially customers.  Don’t even discuss people in our circle outside the employment of the restaurant.  JUST DON’T GOSSIP.  It ruins the work place atmosphere and keeps us down while on the job.

 SKATING RINKS:  Ice and Roller

The kids who posses these jobs really seemed to LOVE them, even the ones working concession.  We must enjoy spurts of a very fast pace, love working with kids, love working with a team and be GREAT at customer service.  There is a diverse set of jobs at the rinks, most are unique to the rest of the ‘job world.’

 TELEPHONE SALES / SOLICITING

Need a ‘thick skin’ for this profession, especially as a kid.  We get ‘yelled at’ a lot by customers who don’t like the calls.  This really isn’t a job we recommend for anyone under 21 who hasn’t emotionally developed yet.  However, some kids we spoke with loved it.  There are some jobs offered from home and some can be done by computer sales instead of actual phone contact.  We found it is not a very high paying job, even with commissions.

 THEME PARKS

We always start at the ‘bottom’ in theme parks; usually working outside.  However, the kids we spoke with LOVED these jobs, almost always had opportunities to learn and grow with the company, and kids starting with

the Disney, Water Parks and Universal / MGM Type Parks were extremely happy.  We spoke with people who finished college during their term at these parks and continued to work there even after they started their chosen career.  The kids who worked in the water parks had some comments about the heat, but, LOVED their jobs.

Theme parks are a summer job in the northern states, year round in the southern states.  Most seem to be very understanding to teen schedules and family matters. 

   We also discovered these jobs are very favored on resumes because the training is so elite and the facets of every job always include ‘great customer service’ and dedication.

   Also, although kids do not seem to leave these jobs, there are so many positions available every year, it is more possible to find jobs in theme parks than the popular store jobs.

 TUTOR

There are so many companies who have professional tutoring after school and during the summer.  We have to pass a skills test and need to LOVE working with kids, especially being able to keep fidgety kids on task to help them be successful.  We must remain upbeat and learn skills tomake kids want to come.

 Uber FOOD DELIVERY

Being a fairly new profession, our comments are limited, however we heard it basically ends up being a minimum wage job, companies usually require a minimum of driving experience and don’t forget the wear and tear on our cars. However, kids who love to drive absolutely loved their Uber food delivery jobs, especially in the smaller cities.  They said it was a job with a great sense

of freedom.

Uber ‘taxi style’ jobs are not recommended for younger drivers.  Teens said it is “just too risky a job to work alone.”

 VALET PARKING

Kids who love cars and driving LOVE these jobs in most cases and said they can make great money in the right places.  The better, steady money seems to be the 3-5 star restaurants.  Some hospitals and medical centers now offer valet. However, these are the lower tipping jobs. If we can get concerts and sporting event gigs, we can make great money on a one-shot deal.  These jobs are a little harder to get because we have to have a great driving record and a higher minimum of driving experience.  It can be stressful driving someone else’s car at first, and we MUST NEVER TAKE ADVANTAGE of being able to drive the cool cars.  This job requires us to be EXTREMELY careful all the time.

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Although kids expressed negatives about every single job because Co-workers, Bosses and Customers can certainly create job stress; we need to remember, no matter what facet of our lives, there are stresses and negative emotional situations around us.  We can learn so much from our first jobs of how to cope with those stresses.  These lessons can help us throughout the rest of our lives and careers.  We need to be willing to LEARN as much as we can no matter what we are doing. 

(See YOMADTI)