I was surprised to recently learn that when my oldest son turns 14 in a few months, he can legally get a job. I always thought you had to be 16 to get a job, but 14- and 15-year-olds can work as long as they work no more than three hours a day and 18 hours a week during the school year. They also can’t work past 7:00 p.m. during the school year.
Pros
- Jobs can teach teenagers work skills they will need their whole lives, such as how to fill out an application, how to interview well, how to work responsibly, and how to get along with co-workers and superiors
- Jobs can help teens feel more confident and independent
- Jobs help teens develop a sense of responsibility
- Students who work 10 to 15 hours a week during the school year earn higher grades than students who don’t work at all
- Jobs help teens learn to manage their money
- Jobs cab help teens explore potential career paths
- Teens who work more than 13 to 20 hours a week receive lower grades
- Teens who work find it difficult to keep up extracurricular activities and friendships
- Teens who work are more likely to use illegal drugs or alcohol
- Overworked teens sleep and exercise less and spend less time with their families
- Does my teen get out of bed in the morning without prodding?
- Does my teen shower and have good hygiene?
- Does my teen make good choices?
- Does my teen take responsibility for mistakes?
- Does my teen get along with other teens and with adults?
- Does my teen handle criticism?
- Does my teen have good time management skills?
- Grades
- Extracurricular activities
- Friends and family
- Money (how much your child will need to save versus spending and what expenses he or she will be responsible for)
- School Guidance Counselor. He or she may know about local businesses that hire teens.
- Coaches, teachers, parents, and friends. Let everyone know you are job-hunting – you never know who might have a lead on the perfect job for you.
- Classified ads
- Organizations you have volunteered for. Maybe someday Kegan can parlay his summer volunteer time at the library into a part-time job.
Stacey Schifferdecker is the happy but harried mother of three school-aged children—two boys and a girl. She is also a freelance writer, a Children’s Minister, a PTA volunteer, and a Scout leader. Stacey has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and French and a Master’s degree in English. She has written extensively about parenting and education as well as business, technology, travel, and hobbies.
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At what age can a teenager legally get a job?
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Many parents assume the answer is 16, but in many places teens as young as 14 and 15 can work, just with limits during the school year. Those limits often include working no more than about three hours on a school day and a capped number of hours per week, and not working late in the evening on school nights. Since the exact rules can vary, it’s worth checking the regulations where you live before your teen starts applying.
What are the pros and cons of a teen having a job?
On the plus side, a job can teach lasting work skills like filling out applications, interviewing, and getting along with co-workers, while building confidence, independence, responsibility, and money-management habits, and even helping a teen explore career paths. The downside shows up mostly with too many hours: grades can slip, and it gets harder to keep up extracurriculars, friendships, sleep, and family time. The right balance often comes down to your individual child and how many hours they take on.
How do I know if my teen is ready for a job?
A few honest questions help. Does your teen get out of bed without prodding, keep up good hygiene, make good choices, and take responsibility for mistakes? Do they get along with other teens and adults, handle criticism well, and manage their time? It also helps to talk together about why they want a job and your expectations around grades, activities, friends and family, and money. If most of those point in the right direction, they may well be ready.
What if I’m not sure my teen should get a job yet?
You have gentler options. You might let your teen work on a trial basis just to see how it goes, or steer them toward regular volunteer work first. A volunteer role, like helping at a local library, can still involve filling out an application, going through an interview, and keeping a timesheet, so a teen gets many of the benefits of a paying job on a limited, age-appropriate basis.
Where can my teen look for a job?
There are several good starting points. A school guidance counselor may know local businesses that hire teens, and it helps to let coaches, teachers, parents, and friends know they’re job-hunting, since you never know who has a lead. Classified ads are worth a look, and organizations your teen has already volunteered for can sometimes turn that experience into a part-time job.
Stacey, your points really presented an objective position for parents to consider. I appreciate advice, presented in a way that gives the reader a choice or ideas to consider rather than a platform to live by. My readership enjoys the same topics. I thought they would appreciate sharing in your ideas and thus created a post which you can find at: http://www.thinking-forward.com/2008/01/should-your-tee.html
Enjoy the day ahead.
Regards,
Joe Bruzzese