Doing a leaflet round with the old family stroller piled high, mowing neighbours lawns, or babysitting are a rite of passage for many and is a great way to earn a bit of money as well as learn about how to be a good worker.
So what do you and your child need to know about getting their first part-time job?
Benefits of part-time jobs
There are many benefits to your child taking on a part-time job. Earning your own money is a great source of pride and builds confidence while learning about how to manage money – and hopefully save. Being able to pay for some of their clothes and entertainment can help you manage the household budget and they also learn a whole range of other skills including timekeeping and the importance of reliability.
Depending on the job they might learn how to be part of a team, the unwritten rules of working with others, and develop their communication and customer service skills. They might also learn that they don’t want to do that sort of work full-time and help give them focus for their studies – or conversely they might be taking the first step of a rewarding career.
Finally, having a part-time job is something to put on their CV and can be helpful when applying for other jobs, to get in to halls of residence at tertiary institutions, and some training courses.
Types of jobs
Where you live will in many instances will dictate the types of jobs available. If you have neighbours, lawn mowing, taking out and bringing in the bins, housework, cleaning, dog walking, and babysitting could be options. In urban areas local paper and pamphlet delivery jobs are often available, some pharmacies may have prescription delivery jobs or your local shops and businesses might need part-time workers. Some areas have seasonal work such as fruit picking, thinning, or pruning.
Finding a job
Firstly, identify when they are available to work. If, for example, they are at school plus play sport and have music lessons you might find that they don’t actually have a lot of spare time during the term so you are better to focus on school holiday jobs. Your child who attends school but has evenings and weekends free might be able to do one or two regular shifts somewhere each week.
Encourage your child to put together a ‘CV’ type document with their contact details, some information about themselves and explaining what sort of work they are looking for – this can be used as a form of business card while also serving to clarify their goals.
There are many routes you can help your child explore when looking for a job. Networking is often the most successful way to find a job. Encourage your child to contact friends and family who might have jobs available or who might be able to point them in the right direction. They should email, text, or drop a note in the letterbox explaining what they are seeking and include a timeframe in which they will follow up with a phone call. Because the favoured communication for kids is definitely not by phone call you might like to practice what they will say first!
Other sources of part-time work they can check are Facebook Marketplace, the community notice board at your local supermarket, TradeMe Jobs, and your local newspaper. You could also tap into the power of your social media presence on their behalf and do a post on their behalf including their ‘CV’.
Written by Robyn
