Middle Schoolers Needing Some Extra Cash?
Let’s Brainstorm for the Summer
by Lisa Frederiksen
Summers are a great time for middle school students to earn some extra money and garner job skills that will put their resume ahead of the rest when applying for “real” jobs in high school. They will learn time management, dependability, people skills, communication and marketing skills, self-confidence and money management (in addition to earning money!).
Middle schoolers are often interested in working, not only to make money, but to feel more independent and older. Most people who worked at a young age can reflect back and agree that work was usually a positive experience.
We’ve provided this information, which can be printed or emailed, to give to parents as a tool they can use to help their young student as he or she embarks on a search for summer jobs.
At the end, we’ve included information for parents if they are interested in helping their children explore careers over the summer. These are home packets that are available through our website. The packets include a book, interest inventory, and activities.
If you have additional information that we can add to this information sheet, please contact us so we can include it. Our best ideas come from our customers.
You can continue reading the handout or go here to get clean copy that is easy to print out for distribution.
Identifying Potential Summer Jobs for Middle School Students
©2008 – Career Kids, LLC - Permission is given for school districts to distribute
Whether at the dinner table or in the car, it’s always a good time to talk with your child about work and school. If you have middle school children, chances are good that they are interested in earning some extra money. We know there are advantages to working: People learn time management, dependability, people skills, communication and marketing skills, self-confidence and money management (in addition to earning money!). But, it is difficult to find a job at such a young age. Here are some steps to go through to help you and your child identify areas in which they may be able to earn some extra money:
1. Take your student through your jobs around the house each day (or week)…
- Who waters the lawn and patio plants?,
- Who mows the lawn and sweeps the patios?
- Who washes the car(s)? Picks up the dry cleaning? Does the grocery shopping?
- Who takes care of the kids who are out of school for the summer?
- Who walks and feeds the dog? Makes dinner for the family?
- Who sorts the mail or takes out the recycling?
All of these are potential summer jobs for young students to work for neighbors and friends who are going on vacation or working outside the home while their children are home for the summer. Make any additions to this list here:
2. Observe what you see others doing. How old are they? Would they invite a middle school student to help them? Add your observations here:
Identifying Job Skills Your Student Already Has or May Want to Develop
1. Brainstorm with your child as to whether they have the skills to do these jobs. One example, may be babysitting – have they taken care of their younger siblings, helped prepare meals, cleaned up after play dates? Don’t forget your boys! Many parents of boys are looking for boys for babysitting. If your students lack the necessary job skills, how might they get them? Check with your local Red Cross or city to see if they are offering babysitting course.
2. Discuss ways your student might offer their services as a summer job.
- This would include figuring out how much to charge (ask friends who’ve used students for similar jobs, for example).
- It would include helping them come up with a “sales pitch” – a one or two sentence description of what they can do and how they can help. Let them practice it on you. It would also help to come up with a business name: John’s Yard Help or Susan’s Babysitting Services.
- Decide whether they would benefit from making a flier and passing it around the neighborhood. If so, what do they want to put on it: business name, their name and phone number or email address, description of their services, maybe a quotation from someone who will vouch for their follow-through and quality of work.
Discuss with your student the advantages of volunteer work or community service. Check into your local SPCA chapter, church or local organizations that may need young people to assist. There are nature centers, museums and camps that look for volunteers.
If your child has a passion for certain activities, encourage him or her to develop the skills used in those activities, even if they don’t get paid. For instance, the young writer can develop a community newsletter, either in print or electronic. The videographer can develop documentaries about the community or fictional stories using buddies as actors.
It’s hard, especially when parents are working, but we want to help with ideas that will keep your child engaged, active and safe this summer.
Here are some ideas for summer employment to
brainstorm with you child:
Babysitting
Pet sitting
Yard workers
Bicycle repair
Camp counselor
Referee and umpires
Computer tutoring or training (this can be a good resource if you live near a retirement community)
Garage sales
House sitting (pick up mail, packages, feed animals, water plants while neighbors are away)
Car washing/detailing
DVD rental (if the family has a large collection)
Recycle pickup (they make their money when they take the recycling to the service center)
Library pick up and return
For more tools to help your child explore careers, take a look at the following Home Pack you can order from www.careerkids.com. You can find free career information at the website.
Career Awareness at Home Pack 3: Grades 6 - 9
Includes Careers for Me Plus, a 24-page interest inventory that reviews educational goals, activities, interests and includes information on resume writing and lots of career information. Users are encouraged to research two careers of interest, of which the Quick Job Reference guide in the back of the booklet will help. This package also includes the Occupational Outlook: An Exploration Book for Teens and a teacher's guide. $18.95 each set.
©2008 – Career Kids, LLC - Permission is given for school districts to distribute