10 Ideas For Your Teenager’s First Job (and where to apply!)

There are a wide variety of different jobs suitable for a teenager.

Whether they seek formal part-time employment with a business, have a casual job in the neighbourhood or start their own enterprise, in no time at all they will start raking in the cash. Although fast food chains and clothing stores are popular for teen employment, it is worth considering jobs of all kinds, as long as it is safe and enjoyable for your teenager.

The Legalities of Working in Australia:

In Australia, you need to be 15 or over to gain employment. If you are 14 and 9 months, there are limited circumstances in which working a job is acceptable, such as working within a family business or gaining a job in the entertainment industry. Of course, this does differ from state to state. Find out more here. Your child will need to apply for a Tax File Number from the Australian Taxation Office. This can be done online here.

What You Will Need:

Have your child put together a resume. It only needs to be one page – and even though he or she hasn’t worked before, they can include school grades, hobbies and any extra-curricular activities they have done or voluntary work that will be valuable in gaining employment.

Some of the most common jobs for teenagers include:

1. Babysitting

If your child is confident with kids and is responsible then a babysitting gig with a couple of local families might be the go. There is no fixed wage for babysitting and would be negotiated on a job-by-job basis. For peace of mind, they may want to invest in a first-aid course and your teenager could build up a reputation with family friends first and be able to use them as a reference. Start them off within ‘walking distance’ in case anything goes wrong.

2. Dog Walking/Pet Sitting/Car Washing

If your teenager is enterprising, they could start their own small business offering services to the time-poor in your area. Dog walking, car washing, pet sitting, pool cleaning, weeding or lawn mowing are all easy, small businesses to get up and running.

3. Check-Out Operator/Cashier

Price check! Aisle 12! Working for a supermarket as a check-out operator is a pretty straightforward work, but will teach your teenager valuable skills in handling money and customer service.

4. Supermarket Worker

There are shelf stackers, deli workers, fruit and vegetable workers – there are limitless jobs in a supermarket. Apply online or go in-store looking neat and tidy and speak to the manager.

5. Fast Food/Take Away Stores

Working for a fast-food chain is usually good for those who need a fair bit of structure. They also have lots of opportunity for advancement. With teenagers showing they are capable to take on more responsibility, they may be promoted to assistant manager in due course.

Options include:

• KFC
• McDonalds
• Hungry Jacks

6. Receptionist/Office Assistant

Think girl or boy Friday. It involves jobs like answering the phones, photocopying, making tea and coffee for everyone and filing.

7. Lawn and Garden Maintenance Assistant

During the Summer months when most teenagers are on holidays, the lawns and gardens are also growing out of control. Assisting a landscaper or  lawnmower to do some jobs in the garden is great for the outdoorsy student – and the money is usually good too!

8. Pizza Delivery Person

Your student will need to have their own vehicle and a driver’s licence and be available nights and weekends.

9. Waiter/Waitress Position

Your teenager must have a happy disposition, be willing to learn how to take orders, manage cash and handle food. It will usually involve late nights and weekends. The pay isn’t great – but you need to start somewhere.

10. Pool Cleaner

Another good Summer job. You usually will need your own transport and learn on the job to treat pools, clean and deal with customers.

Volunteering Type Positions

• Animal Shelter Assistant – Contact your local RSPCA shelter and volunteer your services. Of course, being a volunteer and a young person, there is a good chance your first jobs will be cleaning out the kennels, walking and washing dogs, but it is fantastic for animal lovers that want to give back to their community.
• Local Charity Shop – There are many charity shops all over Australia, and they are always looking for staff on the weekends to man their shop, serve customers, stock shelves and handle donations.

What was your first job as a teenager?