Best jobs for teenagers

Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

Soon, many teenagers in metro Atlanta will join the already massive group of job seekers, looking for summer employment. While teens may find the temporary and seasonal job markets to be tougher than in previous years, there are several areas that teens looking for summer employment should check out first. These include:

• Golf courses: Work on the maintenance and groundskeeping crews, or work in the retail shop or clubhouse environment. Check out this map of metro Atlanta golf courses.
• Restaurants, especially fast food: Fast food restaurant jobs are quite popular with teens, as they usually don’t require previous work experience for entry-level positions, and there are plenty of part-time schedules available. Starting in food service in high school could help prepare you for a server or kitchen position in a more upscale establishment, which is a way many college students help pay their tuition.
• Retail stores: Learning basic retails skills can be an important asset. Once you’ve learned skills like stocking shelves, assisting customers and working the cash register, you can choose to work your way up to management or rely on these skills later on in life, either during college or as an income supplement during the holidays, for example.
• Summer camps: Always a popular job for teenagers, camp counselors from a variety of disciplines are in demand for summer camp programs throughout metro Atlanta and North Georgia. These aren’t all outdoor or sports-related positions; figure out your best subject in school or a hobby you excel at and see if there’s a program to match. Begin your search online with this database of metro Atlanta summer camps.
• Amusement parks: If you like working in a fast-paced, outdoor environment, then consider working at one of the several metro Atlanta amusement parks. They need everything from maintenance and cleaning crews to ticket takers and staff for the food and retail vendors.

There are also intern programs, like those offered through CobbWorks. Aspiring journalists may want to check out VOX Teen Newspaper and their summer internship program. For those looking for the life experience and college application or resume booster, consider volunteer work versus a paid job. And for those in foster care, there’s a special state program called Georgia TeenWork.

What do you think are the best jobs for teenagers?