Teens Make Money with Holiday Jobs

How Teenagers Can Work to Earn Cash at Christmas

Nov 15, 2009 Mary King

Teenagers looking for holiday work can earn money by doing odd jobs. A list of ideas for teen jobs is shown below. Work out a job deal with trusted relatives & friends.

Teens who want to earn quick cash for seasonal work can skip the time-consuming employment applications. Family, friends and neighbors may be willing to pay a teen for hire in spite of the lagging economy. The one-time jobs may be small, but the dollars can add up fast. An industrious teen can start building personal job references for the future.

Good Holiday Jobs for a Teenager

Check with family, neighbors, adult friends, and school staff. Ask the owner of a local family-owned business that might need a worker to help out with a few extra one-time jobs. The "Mom & Pop" grocery store down the street might hire a teenager to help stock shelves those few busy days before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a list of 16 jobs teens can do to earn money during the holidays:

Shovel snow in driveways and/or steps and walkways. Make sure one has the proper equipment.
Rake leaves, clean a yard of debris. Use gloves to prevent blisters. Know how to use a leaf-blower or chipper-shredder beforehand if necessary.
Rake and bale pine straw. This is more of a rural-type job, but the straw is typically sold to landscapers who use it for mulch.
Help someone winterize his or her home.
Help a neighbor who has no spare time get ready for Thanksgiving relatives or Christmas visitors. The host may need her carpet cleaned, drapes steamed, guest room readied, silver polished, and so forth. Work out a price and the details for each job (who supplies the cleaning machine, cleaners, etc.).
Babysit. Parents need time to shop and run Christmas errands.
Help prepare for a school party. A busy Mom who volunteered to make homemade cupcakes for her child's class party might be willing to buy the ingredients and pay a teen do the work.
Put up holiday decorations. Some working couples just don't have time to decorate and would gladly pay a reasonable fee to a teen willing to help or take on the task.
Help prepare for a home party. Whether it's cleaning house, decorating, running errands or helping prepare the food, most any host would gladly pay for a few hours of last-minute help.
Take a job cleaning a home the day after a party.
Wrap gifts. This time-consuming task is both easy and fun for most teens.
Assemble gifts. Put together a child's kitchen set, a new computer desk and other items.
Play Santa Claus. Santa costumes can be costly; but if one can get a loaner, then a teen can pick up money on Christmas Eve delivering presents for parents who have made arrangements.
Take care of pets or plants for a holiday vacationer.
Make money after Christmas by taking down decorations and putting them away.
Help with a New Year's party. Help the host set up for the party or help clean the home the next day.

Guidelines for Teens Working Seasonal Jobs

When verbal agreements and money are involved, it helps to have a parent or other responsible adult approve the work agreement to avoid any misunderstanding. Know ahead of time the extent of the work to be performed and set the price. Otherwise:

Get a pocket calendar or schedule book so that no job is forgotten.
Contact people that can be trusted.
Make sure one is qualified to do the job correctly.
Work out all details involving equipment, tools, transportation, etc.
Speak up and ask questions about anything that's not clear.
Make sure clients know to pay in cash.
Show up on time and be ready to work.
Do not take risks or use any unfamiliar equipment that could cause an accident, property damage, or injury.
Complete the job in a timely manner.
Collect payment immediately upon completing a job. Accept no IOUs.

The Teen Employee Advantage

Teens can get minor jobs for which adults probably wouldn't be considered in some cases. In spite of low incomes and tight family budgets, most people are willing to pay a one-time helper when work and holiday tasks become too stressful or overwhelming.

It pays to be professional even if the job is a one-time event. Wear proper clothes, be courteous and use proper social skills to impress a potential "employer." Serious job seekers will print fliers or hand out business cards so people will have the contact information when they need the help. Print a few dozen cards on the computer. Fliers can be printed on the computer or written in a neat hand.

Teens can find work during the holiday season by doing odd jobs for family, teachers, church members and trusted people they know. Start working right away and get paid for doing home jobs. As a bonus, teens that do a good job can use the holiday "employers" as personal references in the future.

The copyright of the article Teens Make Money with Holiday Jobs in Personal Budgeting/Finance is owned by Mary King. Permission to republish Teens Make Money with Holiday Jobs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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