The Best After-School Jobs For Teenagers

The Best After-School Jobs For Teens

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Speak to your teen about their goals and what they want out of an afterschool job. Some teenagers might want experience in customer service, while others might want a job that is less customer-facing. These are jobs that can easily fit into a teen’s school schedule and are age-appropriate for high school students.

• Babysitting. Being a babysitter is a great job for teaching teens responsibility because as babysitters, they are the surrogate adults. Many parents need babysitters on nights and weekends so that they can have a social life, so this job fits easily into a teen’s schedule.
• Grocery store stocker or bagger. Working in a grocery store gives teens the chance to interact with customers and even learn more about the true cost of regular consumer goods. However, it isn’t so mentally draining that it interferes with their academic ambitions.
• Lifeguard. While this job will require special training, it is a great job for the energetic teen who is looking for a challenge and wants to take on responsibility. It’s also a great summer job, as it tends to be seasonal.
• Sales associate. Working in a clothing store or similar retail environment gives your teenager experience in customer service and will teach them some introductory accounting and finance skills if they handle the cash register.
• Tutor. Being a tutor offers a similar benefit to being a babysitter, in that it puts the teen in the position of authority. Additionally, it gives your teen a chance to brush up on some of the basic concepts that are the building blocks of their current education.
• Customer service representative. Being a customer service representative gives teens the chance to work on their communication skills, as well as develop conflict resolution skills. Just make sure they work in a low-stakes industry where they can avoid overly-emotional customers. Working for a health insurance company, in this case, isn’t a good fit for teens, but working for a toy or pet products company could be.
• Restaurant host/hostess. This job gives teens customer service and hospitality experience. It also makes them good candidates for a more lucrative serving position during college.
• Barista. Working in a coffee shop can teach teens to keep up in a fast-paced environment all while learning customer service skills and some basic cashier skills.