William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-05-01 / 5. szám
Summer job opportunities for teens byjill Gianola, iVillage.com The dream: Your teenager gets a paid internship for the summer working in a safe environment in an exciting field, supervised by caring adult mentors. The reality: Your teenager divides his summer between handing burgers through the drive-in window and "hanging out with the guys." Are those really the choices? There are only five summers between junior year of high school and graduation from college and each one can be a terrific opportunity for learning or earning. Some planning, research and goal setting can enhance your teen's summer. Here's how to get started. Set Goals First, sit down with your teen and talk about the goals for the summer. Is earning money for college or other expenses the top priority? If so, how much is a reasonable amount to earn vision of an internship with a law firm may not jive with your teen's dream of biking across Europe. Your teen should be an active participant in researching and planning her summer, with some guidance from you. Traditional Summer Jobs Money can be a great motivator, but there are other good reasons for your teen to hold down a summer job. He can learn about working with non-parental authority figures, prioritizing tasks, getting along with co-workers, figuring the tax bite on his paycheck and being on time and ready to work each day. The down side can be boredom with a tedious job and an inflated sense of wealth. Teens don't just hang out at mallsthey spend their paychecks there. Your child can begin by targeting companies in fields she may wish to pursue as a career: the zoo, the local newspaper, an engineering firm. Even if the work involves clerical tasks, the exposure to a particular profession or and save (after expenses and some spending money)? Some colleges require recipients of financial aid to earn $1,500 toward expenses during the summer. If your child makes $6 an hour and works 40 hours a week for 10 weeks, gross pay will be $2,400. Taxes will eat up about 10 to 12 percent of that leaving $2,150. If expenses (gas, car insurance, etc.) and spending money total $40 a week, your child could have over $1,700 squirreled away before school starts. Set up automatic deposit of the payroll check into a checking account with a fixed amount siphoned directly into a savings account. Unpaid Opportunities If you are willing to subsidize summer expenses, the choices multiply: unpaid internships, volunteer work, summer school in the U.S. or abroad, travel. Is getting a jump on college courses high on the list or is your teen yearning for a summer in an exotic locale? Next, do the research. The Web is a wonderful resource and there are lots of books and guides. Sopie examples are listed below. Remember to be realistic. Your Money Links To learn more about how teens and their parents can work together to earn and save money and prepare for college and careers, log onto: Z> www.iVillage.com/money 4 111 I lie in Penn Lile, May 2002
