Summer job for 15-year-old?

[mjh8955]

We told our son that this is the summer he needs to find a job and earn some money. Mowing yards just isn't enough to keep him busy. However, when I started checking around, the minimum age seems to be 16, even at our grocery stores. Does he have any options other than McDonalds??? (We live in central Illinois) Thanks for any help!

 

[jonestavern]

in NH kids can work at 14, with permission & signed documents from the parents. The hrs & circumstances are limited & the school must sign off, too. It is not something that is advertised here, so check out at yr school &/or state agency handling labor regs-
However, there are not a lot of places that will hire a 14 yr old. DS17 found work at a ski lodge in the restaurant. He still works there. So try restaurants, the work can be menial & tedious(unless the place is jamming!) but is a super place to start off at-

Jean

 

[DVCLiz]

If he's willing and at all interested, he might find a "mother's helper" type job for a set period of time each day or week. I know I had a friend who didn't really need child care for her older boys, but she did need someone to supervise at the pool, etc. She hired a teenage boy and they either stayed home and played computer games or did outside things, or they went to the pool (Mom or Dad dropped off and picked up). It was a great job for the teen!!!!

 

[McKelly]

I know I started at 15 with our Community Recreation Department. Rec Departments hire a lot of people in summer around here for just that, summer work. Cleaning up parks, painting park benches, I worked with preschool kids and played games with them for a couple of hours a day, I have seen young teenage kids working at the snack bar at our local pool.

Could he put an ad in the paper for lawn cutting or outside housework, dog walking, etc.? I have seen ads here for that, but I don't know if the kids are successful or not. I have even received small pamphlets in my mailbox from young girls wanting to babysit my kids!! Just some ideas.

 

[tiggger1]

I would look for a job as a Counselor in training job at a summer camp or a day camp. Where are you located?

 

[llp479]

IL labor law allows you to work at 15 with many restrictions. Parental permission, not past 7 on a school night, not past 9 on non-school nights, and no more than 8 hours, and only for certain types of positions. Many company's Worker's Comp insurance prohibits them from hiring 15 year olds.

 

[Shagley]

Duplicate post - oops

 

[Shagley]

I agree that he should check with the local park district. They have quite a few jobs as lifeguards, working with the daycamps or even doing park cleanup work. I am not positive, but I think the Peoria Park District hires kids younger than 16 with a work permit.

Edited to add: I know some kids around the Peoria / Pekin Illinois area that make quite a bit of money detasseling corn in the summers. They work for about 3 weeks in July and earn around $1000 or $1500 for the 3 weeks work. It is hot, dirty, hard work that starts early in the morning, but since it is only for 3 weeks, it might be worth looking in to. They only have to be at least 12 years old to work as a detasseler.

Here is a link to a detasseling company, but I am sure there is other information you could find on the internet...http://www.teamcorn.com/aboutdetasseling.shtml

 

[staci]

IDK where you are, but we are in the midwest. I know at 14-15 detasseling was a big deal around here. My mom wouldnt let me (she said growing up on a farm she detassled and it was hard work) but I really wish I could have tried. We had a few teachers at our high school that got together groups of detasslers every summer. It was long days, but only for a few weeks if I remember correctly. And all my friends that did it were very happy with the money they made.

 

[staci]

Shagley we must have posted at the same time!

 

[mamacatnv]

I agree to check with the local parks & rec departments. My DS was able to work at the local water park in guest services at the age of 14 and then he was a lifeguard at the age of 15. NV does not have specific child labor laws we fall under federal laws. He couldn't work past a certain time on school nights, more than 8 hrs in a day etc... It was a great summer job and he socked away enough money the past 2 summers to be able to afford his own car insurance since we don't want him to work uring the school year, but we want him to contribute to the expense of him driving.

Another option is maybe approach your employers and ask them if they need a file clerk, sweeper, cleaner upper etc during the summer months.

MamaCatNV

 

[staci]

Sorry just saw your location, somehow I missed it before. Do you have HyVee grocery stores there? I know most places around here were 16, but HyVee did hire a small number of 14-15 year olds.

 

[Uuaww]

if hes a swimmer, lifeguard, ive been doing it for 6 years not since i was 15, im up to $13 an hour...

 

[2minnies]

Park and Rec is great - but check it out now. Our job fair for summer is this weekend!

 

[Shagley]

Shagley we must have posted at the same time!

of course, brilliant minds think alike

 

[mjh8955]

Thanks everyone!!

- we don't have a Hyvee grocery where we live, only Schnucks, County Market and IGA

- lifeguard is totally out, the kid swims but isn't certified or interested, and he is really small for his age

- our parks and recreation hires in January, the spots fill up instantly

- I was born and raised in a rural area and did my share of detassling. It was HARD WORK and the only reason I did it was to hang out with my friends. My son's friends are all sissy city kids

- the other thing I don't know how he should handle - he will be starting baseball at the end of the month. Won't most places want him to start before school is out? He won't have even one free weekday afternoon until the middle of May.

 

[RangerPooh]

Whatb types of business are in your community? He should still put in an application with Parks and Rec on the chance that they need more helpers or to fill in for those who decide to not take the job come June. Life guard certification is available through most YMCAs and is reasonably priced. Size doesn't matter. I was a lifeguard and we had petite females doing the job who tested on adult males more than twice there size.

Soeone mentioned CIT (counselor in training) at a summer camp, see if there are any positions available for this. ALthough I now that some (including the one that I worked at) requirs you to be a camp which means you pay the camp fee for the experience.

If grocery stores are too old for him what about a video store? Movie theater? Check to see if the school is hiring summer staff, some hire students for these positions.

You also mentioned the time constraint due to baseball. I would apply for jobs now as the positions may not be available come May. Inform the employer that he can only work weekends until ____ and than _____days a week after that. This will help his job outlook. But apply EARLY to be safe.

 

[NotUrsula]

You are going to run into problems with almost any type of job except agricultural, mostly because of the worker's comp issue. I used to manage a public library across the river in MO, and like most PL's we hired a lot of teen shelvers. We would get IL applicants sometimes who hoped that MO would be less strict on the work rules; we were, but we still didn't hire anyone under 16; our comp policy didn't allow it. Even self-insured municipalities &/or counties usually adhere to this limitation.

I think your best bet is self-employment in some kind of service work. How is he with animals? Lots of folks go on vacation in the summertime so pet-sitting can be a good option. I started doing that when I was 12, all year long, and I made a pretty nice income off it for a kid. If you attend a church the bulletin is a great place to advertise. This does take serious dedication, attention to detail (b/c of needing to lock up peoples' homes) and a willingness to deal with the products of dog-walking, but if he can handle the responsibility, it's a good gig for a teen.