Summer break presents multiple possibilities including spending time with friends and family, travelling, learning new skills and developing new hobbies. This summer, why not add earning money to your list? With the right opportunity, you could develop skills to build a foundation for your future career or simply learn a new side hustle.

Summer jobs don’t just provide you financial independence, they are a great way to learn how to save, budget, improve communication skills and gain professional experience, which gives you an advantage when you pursue a career after graduation.

Another added advantage of having a summer job is that employers hiring young workers are often more flexible when it comes to working around your schedule, a privilege that you’ll crave later on in your career, and yet you enjoy many of the same benefits as other workers, such as holiday pay and in some job positions, competitive pay. 

Where to start

As a young worker, you’ll need to consider your work hours as laws govern the age in which you’re legally able to work. In Canada, you can’t work for more than two hours on a school day or eight hours on a non-school day and cannot work during normal school hours. A good place to start would be to check your provincial policies for employment standards and restrictions even if you are joining your family-run business or store.

Next, you’ll need a resume to present your skills and experience. Even if you want to apply for the role of a dog walker, your future employer will want to know whether you’ve had experience working with animals. Adding skills like organization and time management will also push you to the top of the resume pile. 

The hot list

Here’s a list of some recent popular job positions on indeed.com, a job search platform, that are ideal for teens. 

Grocery store cashier

Library assistant

Landscape laborer

Dog walker

Babysitter

Tutor

Web designer

Social media manager

Blogger

If you’re looking to work online, check out this list of top online jobs for teens on indeed.com. 

If you need more help 

If the thought of searching for a job seems a bit overwhelming, you’re not alone. It may help to consider that you’ve more than likely had some experience in at least one of these jobs, whether in your own home or as a volunteer. Remember, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to find a job. There are job searching techniques and platforms that can aid you in the process as well as agencies that will guide you during this journey by helping you prepare for your search, including how to create a resume, for example.

Here are some local agencies in Toronto and Canada overall, to check out for help with your job search:

Find youth services

Toronto Youth Job Corps

Job bank

Youth Jobs Canada

Opportunities for students in Canada

Youth Employment Service

The Career Foundation

Operation Springboard job fair for youth

If you’re looking to gain some insight into financial literacy while job searching, register for our financial literacy program, Finance Finesse. You’ll learn how to write a resume, how to budget, and how to enter the job market. 

No matter which course of action you take, your journey will be unique and we would like you to share yours with us. Tell us what job you picked up this summer in the comments section below. 

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