Do you have a job for summer yet?
It being graduation season, I thought I’d share some common summer job opportunities for teenagers and college students to make extra money. Some of these I’ve done myself. Others are just some of the more common jobs you hear about. Be sure to share your past job experiences in the comments below.
Why Work This Summer?
There are a ton of reasons to get off your butt and get a job this summer.
Work because it’s something different. Work because sitting around your house is boring (TV during the day sucks!). Work so that you don’t have to bum money off of your parents for daily spending. Work so that you don’t get lazy and gain weight. Work to be with your friends. Work to save money for college expenses. Work to get real experience. Work to test out your working style.
I loved most of my summer jobs. Each brought me a different experience and helped to teach me about myself. Here are 5 jobs I had during the summers and what I liked about them.
5 Summer Jobs I’ve Had
Lawn Care – I earned the most money during my high school years mowing lawns. This was a great summer job. It’s hard, and requires an initial investment (which my Dad was kind enough to front me). To get started, you only really need a mower and some gas.
But eventually you’ll find that you can expand your business with a weed eater, edger, blower, and a truck and trailer full of lawn tools. Convince a few neighbors that you’ll mow their grass for less than they currently pay. Then word will start to get out and you’ll have several clients. Raise your prices once demand for your services increases.
I’ll admit that at times this job was tough in the summer heat. But it taught me a great deal of responsibility, taught me about 2 cycle engines, kept me in shape, and it gave me a great tan too. One more thing this job did was teach me to work efficiently. As a flat rate service, you can raise or lower your hourly wage with how efficient you work. I learned to work fast and earn more money for less time spent on the job.
Grocery Bagger/Stocker - I welcomed this job after my days of mowing laws. Not much hustle or stress involved. It kept me inside most of the time in the cool, conditioned air. It also forced me to be around other people and socialize. This was a stretch for me at the time. But something I needed as a shy teen. There are many jobs you can find at the market or grocery store: bagger, stock person, checker, cart person, etc.
Camp Counselor - I worked as a summer camp counselor during my summers in college. I loved the experience. I worked with the older kids. No tantrums or bed wetting. Just bad attitudes. 
Typical summer camp jobs don’t pay excellent, but you have your room and food covered. This job is tough because you’re outside most of the time. However, it’s also rewarding because of the experiences you have the positive impact you get to have on others. For the kids attending the camp, it’s their best week of the summer. It was great to be a part of that.
Umpire or Referee – Working as a referee or ump requires a solid knowledge of the sport, confidence, and a thick skin for dealing with high pressure situations. I spent some time as a baseball umpire, but primarily as a field ump, where the pressure isn’t as high. This is a great job for making money for just a couple of hours of work. Just know that there is going to be that one day when you are going to really upset someone and have to deal with the pressure. If you love the sport and can handle the pressure, this job may be a great way to get easy money fast.
Lifeguard – Finally, I did one summer as a lifeguard. This was one of my favorite jobs. I actually had to jump in after someone. Thankfully everything worked out okay. In this job you’ll get to work along side other responsible professionals and soak up the hot summer sun. Pay is okay. Double your money if you can do some swimming lessons on the side.
5 More to Consider
- Movie Theater Attendant – Cool environment, free movies, the permanent smell of popcorn on your clothes.
- Fast Food Employee – Free food, fast-paced, the greasiest shoes you’ll ever own.
- Retail Associate – Opportunity for commission, get to dress up, get told “no thanks, I’m just looking” over 500 times a day.
- Baby Sitter – Get to love on kids, enjoy someone’s house, diapers.
- Car Detailing – Good money, work in flip flops, wax on wax off.
What to Do with Your Earnings?
It’s your money. Do with it as you please. But if you’re looking for ideas, here are a few. You could stick it in an online savings account until you find a good use for it. You could use it to buy books in college. You could use it as a down payment on a house. You could reinvest it in your own business. You could invest it in index funds inside a Roth IRA.
Be sure to share your past job experiences in the comments below.
Photo by Rappensuncle
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Very nice post! Sadly a lot of teenagers don't really understand the value of $1 and probably the same with college students. We just really started getting my sons attention when now he has to spend his earn money to buy video games and these expensive shoes. Now he pays attention and thinks before spending. I remember the lawn care and bagging groceries (the older women always tipped even though the stores usually didnt want allow us to accept it)
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