This document provides guidance on finding and securing a summer job for teenagers. It discusses the benefits of summer employment, legal employment guidelines for minors, types of suitable jobs, and steps for researching opportunities, completing applications, interviewing, and following up. Teenagers can gain valuable work experience and income through summer jobs while developing skills and experience to include on college applications. The document offers tips for each stage of the process to help land the "summer job of your dreams."

1. Summer Jobs: Beyond the
Basics
How to Find, Apply, and Snag the
Summer Job of Your Dreams

2. Today’s Topics

Why get a Summer Job?

Learning about the Laws of Employment

Researching Job Possibilities

Completing a Job Application

Interviewing Basics

Closing the Deal and Other Final Words

3. Why get a Summer Job?

4. Benefits of Summer Employment

No School During the Summer Months

$$$

Law Allows You to Work More Hours

Character Building

Allows on the job training for career

Resume Building

Looks good on the College Application

5. Learning about the
Laws of Employment

6. The Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
sets wage, hours worked, and safety
requirements for minors (individuals
under age 18) working in jobs covered
by the statute.

7. The Fair Labor Standards Act
As a general rule, the FLSA sets 14 years
of age as the minimum age for
employment, and limits the number of
hours worked by minors under the age
of 16.

8. The Law: Age Requirements
18 years and up
You can work any job for anyamount of time.
Lucky you!
16 – 17 years old
You can work any non-hazardous job for any
amount of time.

9. The Law: Age Requirements
14 – 15 years old:
 You can work outside school hours in non-hazardous jobs, such as:
summer camp,
fast food service,
and retail.
 Your hours are a bit more limited, especially on school days, when you
can work a maximum of three (3) hours a day.
 This increases to a maximum of eight (8) hours a day on Saturday and
Sunday.
 During the school session, the maximum you can work in a week is 18
hours.
During the summer, you can work up to 40 hoursin a week.

10. 14 – 15 years old
M
T
W
T
No more than
3 hours a day during
the school week
7am-7 PM
F
Saturday
Sunday
Total hours
that you can
work during
the week
Can work 8
hours each day
18
During the summer months
7am – 9pm
June 1- Labor Day
40

11. What Hours Can I Work?
Work may not begin before 7 a.m. or
end after 7 p.m. except from June 1
through Labor Day, when evening
hours are extended to 9 p.m.

12. Permission to Work
The US Government doesn’t require you to have any
special paperwork completed giving you permission to
work.
 Your state may require these documents for working
teens under age 18
 You can also check with your state’s labor department
by typing in the following Web address into your Internet
browser: http://youthrules.dol.gov/states.htm

13. How Much Will I Make?
A minimum wage is the lowest
hourly, daily, or monthly wage that
employers may legally pay to
employees or workers.

14. Researching
Job Possibilities

15. First Things First
 Are you looking for a summer job so you can earn
spending money, or are you looking for experience in a
certain field so you can plant the seeds of a possible
career?
 Does the job reflect responsibilities that interest
you?
 Do you meet the age and experience requirements?
 How many hours will you work per week?
 Is the location convenient?
 What is the pay?

16. Jobs for Teens

Amusement Park

Delivery driver jobs

Babysitting

Grocery clerk jobs

Camp Counselor

Host & hostess jobs

Cashier jobs

Housekeeping jobs

Clothing store associate

Lawn Care Specialist

Cook or Dishwasher

Photo tech jobs

Customer service

Stocker jobs

17. Don’t Let this Happen to You!
“My summer job was super gross.”
“I worked at a pool last summer where my official title was "pool
aide." … I had to clean up throw-up, sweep up smushed food, scrub
toilets, stand at the bottom of the slides for hours – leading to my
knee pains, wash out the showers, pull the hair out of the drains,
listen to the complaints of parents who didn't think their un-pottytrained child needed a swim diaper, pick up dirty diapers in the
bathrooms, and the best part; clean out the drains from the pool. You
could find just about anything in there, from Band-Aids to G. I. Joes.”
–Lauren D.

18. Landing your first job
How do you gain experience if an employer
won’t hire you due to lack of experience?

Should you settle for a low-paying job just to
get a foot in the door?

How high should you set your expectations for
a first-time job?


19. The first job: Money or Experience
If you already know what type of career
you’d like to start pursuing, it can be an
experience-building stepping stone. If you
know you want to go into business, working
in retail or customer service will give you
practical business building skills.

20. Exposure
Your first job can also expose you to
experiences you never thought you’d
enjoy. You may think you’ll hate flipping
burgers for a few hours a day, then find
yourself applying to culinary schools.

21. Networking
Sometimes a job might not be exactly
what you’re looking for, but it puts you in
contact with people or organizations that
might help you in the future.
Who knows who you might meet who
will either help you out with a job down
the road or benefit from your help.

22. So Where do I Start?
 Have
Realistic Summer Job Expectations

Get Yourself Connected

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

Know Where to Look

Persistence Pays Off

23. Completing the
Job Application

24. Job Applications

Be Prepared!

What is a reference?

25. Be Prepared!

Do you know the typical application looks like?

Do you know your phone number?

The address to your school?

The contact information for other places you
have worked or volunteered?

Information for your references?

26. Be Polite
What do callers hear when they call
your phone?

Is your email address easily
understandable?


27. Interviewing Basics

28. Acing the Interview
You’ve sent in your application, ironed your
shirt, and sat by the phone and waited. Then
one day, your cell phone rings. It’s one of the
employers you have applied to – and they want
to talk to you. Take a deep breath and relax.
You’ll do great, at least if you follow these
simple guidelines.

29. Simple Do’s and Don'ts

Make a Great First Impression

Dress to Impress

Use Common Sense

Arrive Early

Mental Rehearsal

30. Closing the Deal
&
Other Final Words

31. Thank You!
When an interview is over, be sure
you say thank you, regardless of how
you feel the interview went.

The best way to say “Thanks” is a
handwritten note to whomever you
interviewed with.


32. Other Final Words
Work experience is PRICELESS. By
accepting a job that doesn’t pay your ideal
hourly wage, you are setting yourself up to
make more next time. Take advantage of
the opportunity by doing the kind of work
that will land you a positive employer
reference.