Job for 14 Year Old

Updated on April 13, 2013
A.M. asks from Denver, CO
13 answers

Just trying to help a 14 year old find a job for the summer... Any ideas¿

What kinds of work do your local 14 year olds do¿

Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for the ideas. I am not looking for my own kiddo but for a student. Just needed to get the juices flowing... thanks!

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

He can also work at Sonic or some other place where carhops are employed. They cannot allow him to even work the pop machine but he can tote orders, take money, make tips, and run here and there for the customers.

2 moms found this helpful

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S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

When I was 14 the only jobs I could do were babysitting and parking lot attendant, and I did both. To get a real job here you need to be 16, or 15 with a work permit. Many of the young teens I know here will volunteer as jr. camp counsellors for both day camps and sleepaway camps. That way they are getting training for future employment, and they have a safe , fun and low cost place hang out all summer.

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Mine babysits, and pet sits, for people in the neighborhood. Here in California they're not allowed to work legally anywhere else, for the most part. Our community center hires teens for their summer preschool program but 15.5 is the minimum age for that.

2 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

Lawn mowing, pet sitting, vacation care (watering plants and lawns, bringing in mail and packages, putting out trash cans, emptying basement dehumidifiers, etc. while people are away), mother's helper or babysitting (especially watching little kids in the pool), weeding gardens, etc. My son did yard work, pets and vacation coverage starting at age 12, and he really morphed it into a business that he could put on his "activity resume" that went with his college applications. He called it "David's Lawn and Pet Care" and made up flyers, and he even learned how to keep accounts and do invoicing. He also did stuff throughout the year, on occasion, and was the "go to" kid in our neighborhood. He had a key to most every house at one time or another, and developed a list of people who gave him great references when it came to more structured jobs when he got older. Also, all of the work was local so I didn't have to drive him everywhere. Encourage your teen to think ahead and not be afraid to take a whole bunch of little jobs and create something bigger.

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Paper route, babysitting, odd jobs for neighbors - running errands, mowing the lawn, house painting (interior or exterior), dog walking/pet sitting, washing cars

2 moms found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

That depends on the laws in your area. When my daughter was 14 she would babysit but I did not and do not require her to have a job. She still babysits about 1 weekend night a week and brings in $80-$100. She is 18 now.

I believe there are limited employers allowed to hire 15 yr olds here which are ... working at the movies, taking groceries to the car, etc. It is limited.

Think outside the box..... what can your 14 yr old do to help people? Promote his/her own little business!

ETA: Age 14 is also a god time to start some community service. It will look good on the resume for college and community service also awards college scholarships... just a thought.. I know it helped my now 18 yr old about to enter college in the fall.

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Babysitting, taking care of peoples' pets, plants and mail when they're on vacation, yard work, stuff like that.

1 mom found this helpful

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

I Googled the topic of work laws for teens for Colorado and came up with this: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&...

If you scroll down to page 3 it will give you a list of the jobs that are permissible for a child that age to do.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Redding on

It depends on at what age your child can get a work permit for certain jobs.

My son, before work permit age, did many side jobs for people. He chopped and stacked wood for the elderly, he did landscaping, he worked on several home renovations, was much in demand for babysitting, etc.
Fortunately, I had a lot of people who knew my son and his work ethic.
We had a neighbor who paid him to wash his logging truck on weekends.
At the same time, he taught my son a lot about logging trucks, how they're different than driving a regular truck, how you power wash the engine from time to time.

My son was lucky. He got to learn a great deal and got paid to learn it and help.

If he's old enough to have a work permit, he can apply at any number of businesses for cleanup, doing floors. Some mechanics will hire kids to clean tools. I know that some car lots will hire young kids to wash and detail the vehicles. But again, a professional business will likely require a work permit.

Best wishes.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.K.

answers from New York on

Mothers helper, pet sitting, work at stable (if a horse lover)

1 mom found this helpful
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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

You may be able to find some books at the library if the child has an entrepreneurial spirit - they may be able to create their own job. If not, depending on the maturity of the kid and the relationship with adults, try to see if anyone's company has a need for part-time work. It would be a huge benefit, I think, if the kid were able to work a "real" job and see what either being an entrepreneur or an actual job is like, vs. "chore" type jobs.

Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.W.

answers from Lexington on

Mow lawns (and shovel snow off driveways and sidewalks in winter), babysit, pet sit, and take care of people's plants (inside and out) while they vacation. Also, walk neighbor's kids to the pool, and stay with the children for a few hours at the pool, then walk them home.

Also, if the have been to camp regularly, some kids get CIT jobs during the summer.

Also, a non-paying job is becoming a volunteer at a hospital. This requires applying and going through training, and then they have regular scheduled hours just like any other job. Looks great on a resume - they just don't get paid... but they get awesome experiences!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.W.

answers from Santa Barbara on

My daughter is 19 now and has worked in a restaurant for over two years. In California, the minors have to have work permits to get a real job so my daughter did pet sitting and worked the snack bar at her softball recreation league when she was that young.

1 mom found this helpful
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