Back when we were kids, summer jobs were not a big deal. We would make the rounds of places like Dairy Queen and local diners to see if anyone needed temporary help. Many of us were camp counselors. Another popular option: babysitting for neighbors. But the stakes seem much higher for our own kids. They're looking for jobs that look good on a college resume and also pay enough for the luxuries that seem to define their existence: cars, snazzy cell phones, and other technological toys.
That's makes the task of helping them find work this summer even more challenging than it would be anyway in an uncertain economy. But you r kids have some advantages you didn't have – most notably, the ability to search online. Here are some useful websites:
http://www.usajobs.gov/studentjobs/: This site lists government jobs and internships available to high school and college students plus other job-hunting resources.
www.Careerbuilder.com: This is a major job-hunting site. To look for a summer job in your area, plug in "summer" in the Keyword box and your location. You'll see a list of available internships and temp jobs.
www.Monster.com: Another huge job site, monster operates pretty the same way as career builder. Plus in "summer" or "temporary" in the Skills/Keyword box.
www.Hotjobs.com: If you're going on CareerBuilder and monster, you should check this one out as well.
www.internships.com: A relatively new site created in partnership with a number of colleges and universities, it offers useful job-hunting tools as well as listing. Although it's primarily for college students, older teens may find it helpful.
Finally, there's www.craigslist.com. It's a good way to advertise what your teen can do as well as look for available opportunities. But with all of these, parents should serve as monitors. Shady characters exist, just as they do in the bricks-and-mortar world. You and your teen should both be wary.