All teenagers reach the point in their lives where they want a job and financial freedom from their parents with money of their own to spend as they please without restrictions.
Finding a job when you are under eighteen has some drawbacks but don’t let that stop you. The positions open to teenagers are entry-level, meaning they do not require any previous work experience.
Many small employers shy away from hiring teenagers due to the child labour laws Australia has to prevent the mistreatment, exploitation, and abuse of young people in the workforce.
While you might not be able to get that ideal job in a legal firm as their junior assistant until you reach eighteen years of age, there are several job options and large retailers willing to work within the legal guidelines set in Australia to employ teenagers 14+. The good news is they have had plenty of years in business to fine-tune the positions and conditions, especially for young teenagers to gain the necessary skills and experience required.
Each state may vary slightly, and a quick web search for your specific state will reveal your particular laws. For the majority of states, the laws are pretty simple, but there are variations between industries that you need to be aware of in advance. The link below is to the Victorian Government website and will give you an overview of the relevant industry and the hours teenagers can work in paid employment. Please take the time to read it and save it as a source of reference.
Nowadays, there are opportunities to work from their bedroom on a range of computer coding tasks such as programming and data organisation, or content creation in the form of making their own online games and even starting their own website empires selling goods from drop shipping vendors.
For those not into the AI and technology sector, there are always the traditional means of self-employment that don’t require large overheads and often can be supported by the family within a small initial budget setup.
Summer Jobs You May Qualify For As A Teen Include:
- Barista: Your job is to prepare beverages such as coffee, tea, milkshakes, and iced drinks
- Busser: Clearing and wiping tables after meals
- Cashier: Work the register in food service or a retail shop
- Gardening: Weeding, mowing, pruning, leaf blowing and raking, repotting flower
- Pool cleaner: Remove debris from pools and add chemical cleaners to pool water
- Dish cleaner: Clean dishes in a restaurant
- Blogging: Write articles and blogs for businesses and websites online
- Programming: Become a freelance programmer and coder online
- Babysitting: Watch young kids when their parents are away in their homes
- Pet walking and sitting: Care for pets, feed them and take them out for walks.
- Trash to treasure flipper and recycler
Café Barista
One of the fastest growing industries is still coffee and all things revolving around being an amazing barista. If you can master the art of making the perfect cup of coffee, your tips can outweigh your daily wage, even in Australia, a country slowly adopting the tipping concept for exceptional service and products.
Barista skills transfer to a range of occupations in the food services and hospitality industry post turning 18. A responsible service of alcohol and a responsible gaming ticket can be obtained by someone under the age of 18 and allows them to serve alcohol and provide gaming services despite not being old enough to drink the alcohol legally. Setting yourself up with the certifications and certificates an employer requires can all be undertaken in the teen years.
Cost: Just $149!!
First Aid Course
Most employers are required by law to have their staff trained in First Aid. If you look to the future and are in the financial position to take a First Aid course such as:
You will again place yourself above the competition as you come with skills already acquired and that you have gained practical experience from possessing. Having a current First Aid certification on your resume will only be of benefit to any future employer.
Cost: Just $99!!
Summary
Regardless of the path you choose, thinking outside the box and obtaining skills in advance where the funds are available can only place your application at the top of the candidate list. Don’t let rejection deter you. Keep applying until you get a job and join the workforce. You will be framing your first pay slip in no time!
Also, consider working for yourself and starting your own small business if your hobby turns out to be a winner. Applying for a tax file number and an ABN as a sole trader might seem daunting, but the processes can be undertaken online fairly easily and with help from an adult if needed.
Teach yourself to work hard at working smart. Why bust your butt for someone else to profit from when you can put in the hard work on creating your own self-employment and reap the full rewards. Find the option that works best for you and your circumstances, and charge forward with courage.
