Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

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SMV
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Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by SMV »

My son has decided that college, immediately after high school, is not for him. He's intelligent, likes to work (has had a job since age 16), and is potentially interested in trade school, code school, or maybe college, but needs a little more time to mature, and be away from home. No interest in travel.

What are some options, and jobs or industries he might target? I was thinking something along the lines of seasonal work in concessions at national parks (only works in summer, though). Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?

Thanks for any ideas.
sailaway
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by sailaway »

If they aren't interested in travel, then seasonal, travelling work doesn't sound like a good option. If they want to stay close to home, look at what is available around you. That is going to be quite different in different parts of the country.

Is there a problem with the job they already have?
livesoft
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by livesoft »

I wonder why the OP did not mention military service which may be considered a traditional path.
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psteinx
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by psteinx »

Waiting tables can pay well, but the hours aren't great.

Delivery and/or Uber, etc.

Construction (late in the season in much, but not all of the country).

Interior construction (painting, flooring) - less seasonal

Landscaping/lawnmowing

Retail (working for a store)

Warehouses (including Amazon, etc.)

Both the educational and health care systems use less well trained/younger folks.

What has he done that he's liked? What's he good at that's in demand?
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gatorking
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by gatorking »

Start with talking to the guidance counselor, if he hasn't already.
More and more I'm seeing high school teens end up with summer internships with pay. I'm not sure how they find these position though.
SchruteB&B
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by SchruteB&B »

This website has jobs with national parks, ski lodges etc. and many seem to include some kind of housing for workers:

https://www.coolworks.com/resort-jobs
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by chipperd »

SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm My son has decided that college, immediately after high school, is not for him. He's intelligent, likes to work (has had a job since age 16), and is potentially interested in trade school, code school, or maybe college, but needs a little more time to mature, and be away from home. No interest in travel.

What are some options, and jobs or industries he might target? I was thinking something along the lines of seasonal work in concessions at national parks (only works in summer, though). Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?

Thanks for any ideas.
Since moving out of your home is important how about: AmeriCorps and/or Peace Corps?
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Carguy85
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Carguy85 »

What trade? I’m fairly sure anyone in the trades would love to have a hard working dependable eager to learn helper...certainly would help with determining a path. Would steer away from something that isn’t along the path he would want to do as a career. Alrhough, some of our employees that previously waited tables seem to be among the best (people skills).
Katietsu
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Katietsu »

Are you looking for a job that would come with free housing? Otherwise, I am not sure I understand the original
suggestions.

Anyway, one can start as an ambulance driver with minimal training. He could go on to train as an EMT while he was working. Maybe sees something he likes it and ends up as a firefighter or health care worker.

He could work construction or landscaping as unskilled labor if he wants to see that side of things. Carpet layers, plumbers, etc will hire unskilled assistants. Right now, these are easy job to get in my area.
Last edited by Katietsu on Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rob
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by rob »

What's you aim... to encourage college or get a path for life sans college? [not sure what code school is]

- Construction will get anyone who has college ability to go in that direction... damn hard work.
- If long term trade... think about something with longevity that will not kill the body... mechanic / electrician or alike over bricklayer / roofer.
- If experience and non-travel... maybe big brothers/sisters or some community outreach area of interest.
- I would avoid food industry as it's a bit of a self fulfilling thing... working those hours gets you in contact with similar roles and after a while it's hard to break out of that rut.
- Lots of sale related jobs in various mall shops with maybe some ability to get to manager or something.
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Doom&Gloom »

Is he asking you for help in finding an area of employment? From the little info posted, I get a picture of a kid who wants to find his own way and interests.
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Watty
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Watty »

SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm I was thinking something along the lines of seasonal work in concessions at national parks (only works in summer, though).
I knew someone that had a son that did that. It sounded like a high percentage of the people that did that, including the son, had issues with pot and alcohol and were not just taking a gap year before college. Those could be the people that he might be hanging out with so you might not want to encourage that.

There is also similar seasonal work at some ski resorts and some people alternate between seasonal jobs like that.

I did not know them well but the last I heard the son was staying if the area and was able to get some low paying year round job with the national park service doing something like cleaning or maintenance. There are worse things that he could be doing but at least for him that was not a track that lead to college or learning a skilled trade.
SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?
Not that I would recommend it but Amazon has a "CamperForce" of people that live in RVs, Vans, or Trailers where they will work for a few months near living near an Amazon warehouse where they are needed. I have seen several non-flattering documentaries on that.

https://hiring.amazon.com/our-team/camperforce#/

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/28/nomadla ... -like.html

Some job like that might motivate him to learn a skilled trade or go to college.

Of course you would need to have access to some sort of trailer or be willing to buy one.

Even in your local area Amazon and other delivery services will be hiring seasonal workers soon. Living in an apartment while working at some place like that might be an option.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by tonyclifton »

We just had a roofer visit our house that said they cannot find anyone in their 20s who wants to learn carpentry or climb ladders. Starting pay is $22 for no experience in our low cost of living area. Higher wages after the first year. This is a commercial/residential large scale operation with all the latest equipment and safety equipment.
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SMV
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by SMV »

Thank you for all the input!

A couple questions came up that I'll answer here.
- Travel is not a big interest, but staying somewhere a month or so, while working, would be good (like a crew building houses, or something).
- The current (food service) job is not bad, but I think it would be best for him to experience more variety, and be away from home.
- No interest in the military.
- The school guidance counselor is not much use, already tried that route.
- The www.coolworks.com/resort-jobs idea sounds great, thank you
- Americorp would be an option but from some limited experience I've had with it, it has all the problems of big government bureaucracies. But something similar to Americorp, with a private company, might be ideal.
- Peace Corp, from what I understand, requires a college degree.
- Camperforce (the Amazon mobile warehouse workers) sounds potentially interesting except that it's mostly older folks, and ideally he'd be around young people.

My aim is not necessarily to encourage college by showing that the non-college route is tough. It's just to give him a year or so away from home, experiencing life, and help him figure out what he wants. Preferably earning money.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by JBTX »

With some minimum qualifications you can get some pretty good in home health care Jobs. Often for disabled kids and adults.

Had a nephew thst did some work at national parks, it wasnt just summer

Perhaps look around to see if you can find camps for special needs adults that are off season.
stan1
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by stan1 »

Working in a grocery store such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes might be a little different than just "retail".

One plus of something like a grocery store is that starts the teen interacting with both customers as well as older employees whose lives might be very different.

One example from the son of a friend: "I can't believe people drive 50 miles to this job at a grocery store because it has health insurance". Well, yes they do.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by JeffAL »

[Mazda Toyota Manufacturing looking for entry-level assembly line workers.

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https://mtmus.selectrakonline.com/recru ... =site-link
adamthesmythe
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by adamthesmythe »

A colleague of mine spent a summer working in a factory. He says it motivated him to get educated so he didn't have to work in a factory.
Isabelle77
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Isabelle77 »

adamthesmythe wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:00 pm A colleague of mine spent a summer working in a factory. He says it motivated him to get educated so he didn't have to work in a factory.
I have a friend that took a year off between high school and college and worked in a factory as well (temp job that turned permanent), by the end of the year he had been promoted several times...but couldn't wait to go to school.

OP, there are a lot of jobs out there right now and temp agencies are desperate. I might suggest starting there.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by stoptothink »

tonyclifton wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:58 pm We just had a roofer visit our house that said they cannot find anyone in their 20s who wants to learn carpentry or climb ladders. Starting pay is $22 for no experience in our low cost of living area. Higher wages after the first year. This is a commercial/residential large scale operation with all the latest equipment and safety equipment.
It's pretty crazy what manual labor will pay right now. I have a 29yr old cousin who is a high school drop-out, a LONG police record, who has been fired from every job he's ever had due to arrests/drugs/not showing up. He's making $26/hr framing right now for one of the state's largest homebuilders and they can't find people.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by bob60014 »

Doom&Gloom wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:20 pm Is he asking you for help in finding an area of employment? From the little info posted, I get a picture of a kid who wants to find his own way and interests.

+1, this. What does HE want to do? Let him go, let him find out. The gap year(s) hopefully will clarify this.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by quantAndHold »

Is the goal for him to find something he might make a career out of, or to convince him to go to college? Those are different paths.

Does have have any skills at all? With the skills a typical recent HS grad has, if he doesn’t want the military and doesn’t want at least some post HS education, he’s going to have one crap job after another. Which is not terrible if the goal is to get him to hate his life enough to go to college.

There are lots of decent jobs that pay decent money that only require 6-12 months of schooling. Community colleges, adult ed programs, and trade unions are a good place to start looking for that kind of thing. But if he isn’t willing to even put in that much effort to get himself launched, I’m not sure what to say.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by rockstar »

Lots of my friends that didn't go to university out of high school went into the military, worked HVAC, or went into construction.
retiringwhen
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by retiringwhen »

livesoft wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:01 pm I wonder why the OP did not mention military service which may be considered a traditional path.
I agree with this too, great training and opportunities to grow up in so many ways. I know many many successes from that path. See if he can get an MOS in the Air Force for Cyber Security related jobs. He can create and entire career path of that in the military or after a bit more schooling in the commercial world.

Also, my family is in the plumbing business and there is a terrible shortage of young apprentices. Give one or more trades a trial run. Plumbers, electricians, heavy construction, etc.

I have a friend whose son wants to be a commercial helicopter pilot (tough requirements and entry barriers), but to make money to pay for school and training, he is working in a quarry driving heavy equipment and frankly, I think he likes the job about as much as his dream job!

My son did 4 years of college before he figured out being an office stiff was not for him (Marketing and Finance degree). Now he is a year away from his Master Plumbers License and loves (almost) every day of this job!
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by retiringwhen »

I know a young man making $23 to $30 (incentive) per hour running a roto-mold for a toy manufacturer. Hard work, but amazingly good pay for someone just starting out. Character and physique building too!
CA lifter
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by CA lifter »

I’ve worked a couple no-school-required jobs. I liked working grocery, especially produce. Trimming, stocking, ordering, it was satisfying and a bit zen for me. You have to hustle, but it’s indoors and well air conditioned.

I’ve done ranch work as well. That’s hot, dirty work. Driving a tractor is fun, but shoveling manure isn’t and gets old in a hurry.

If I was starting over today, I would try to work at an oil change place. Some will start you with no training, and if you find you like engines, a short stint in trade school can put you on a path to being a full mechanic.
retiringwhen
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by retiringwhen »

CA lifter wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:34 pm I’ve worked a couple no-school-required jobs. I liked working grocery, especially produce. Trimming, stocking, ordering, it was satisfying and a bit zen for me. You have to hustle, but it’s indoors and well air conditioned.

I’ve done ranch work as well. That’s hot, dirty work. Driving a tractor is fun, but shoveling manure isn’t and gets old in a hurry.

If I was starting over today, I would try to work at an oil change place. Some will start you with no training, and if you find you like engines, a short stint in trade school can put you on a path to being a full mechanic.
Mechanics are in huge demand too!
musicmom
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by musicmom »

I absolutely love every single employee I've interacted with at our Trader Joe's.
Mix if ages, but many younger people.
Helpful, efficient and really seem to like working there. It has to be a decent place to work to keep these nice human beings working there.

Second health care. I worked decades in a large health care system. There are so many entry level jobs that are always looking for people.
Transporters, unit clerks, lab assistants.
Could be a good way to see what the environment is like.

Would he consider working with people with special needs? Our disabled daughter shares a home with 2 roommates. There is a variety of support staff that assist with daily living skills, transportation, recreation, trips. DD has had some incredible people that have helped her grow.
It's not an easy job but can be rewarding.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by rob »

stan1 wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:40 pm Working in a grocery store such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes might be a little different than just "retail".
My oldest did some time at whole foods... actually a great company (I know it's amazon). Amazing 401k for this crowd - fido funds but the good ones :D Lots of chances to get to managers roles.... they also have good programs for going college as part of a mgr role.
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Veni Vidi Decessi
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Veni Vidi Decessi »

Chemical operator if he wants work now. High paying for only requiring a GED, but can require forced overtime and/or weekend/holiday work, depending on the setting. There is a sign near me that says 3M is hiring operators starting at $25/hr. The chemical industry is having a hard time hiring right now.

If he wants a trade, he can go to trade school or take training to be a welder, mechanic, machinist, or even something a bit more esoteric like a UT tech. All of those jobs are in-demand and require only a high-school education.
Mr. Rumples
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Seasonal work might include yard work and cleaning gutters. The young man who helps me with my yard works 4 days a week in a factory, 10 hour shifts...He then works three days a week moving, and such. He has over 40 regulars, when I ask him how many yards on this three day weekend, he says its 35+ sometimes; other times not as many. He said he averages $1,400 a weekend. I believe it based on the new four door truck he's driving around.

There is another young man, high school senior this year, who helps a few regulars (older folks) with yard work, cleaning windows, washing cars, and so forth; some of the older folks pay him to piddle and just talk to over a soft drink for company. Not as busy as the first guy I mentioned, but where I live, there are a number of seniors who just need help like this.

If he is interested in trade school, perhaps contacting a local plumbing/HVAC company to see about apprenticing. Apprenticing is paid and there is a huge shortage. Just getting into the habit of getting to work, interacting, keeping records &c are good starter skills. I was just looking at an ad for an HVAC maintenance apprentice. The only qualification was a knowledge of basic hand tools and as the ad put it "a willingness to learn."
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Beensabu
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Beensabu »

SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:25 pm The current (food service) job is not bad, but I think it would be best for him to experience more variety, and be away from home.

...

My aim is not necessarily to encourage college by showing that the non-college route is tough. It's just to give him a year or so away from home, experiencing life, and help him figure out what he wants. Preferably earning money.
If he has restaurant experience, maybe he might be interested in moving to the kitchen, picking up and working on culinary skills? It's a career that doesn't require formal schooling (although that's certainly an option), but rather an accumulation of experience, a solid work ethic, and a desire to be good at what you do -- and it's as portable as it gets if you're any good.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by bottlecap »

This really depends on his interest, but a trade school for skills for something like welding can open a lot of doors.

JT
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Brianmcg321
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Brianmcg321 »

Work in any type of factory. They will learn quick they would rather be the supervisor or plant manager instead of the hourly worker.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by tibbitts »

SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?
Please explain why someone with no interest in travel would want a job at all similar to a travel nurse.
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Will do good
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Will do good »

If the school guidance counselor is not much use, have you consider hiring a private career counselor or life coach and give him all the personalized help he can get.

I wish you and your son all the best!
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by squirm »

He can do ditch digging, that will motivate him for a college bound desk job.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by phinanciallyfit »

What are his hobbies and interests? What does he choose to do in his spare time? I think knowing these things may help people give better ideas that could help him explore areas that could be real career options for him (either with or without additional education).

For those who say 'let him figure it out'... I disagree. As long as he is interested to hearing suggestions, gathering suggestions from folks with a wide range of experience is extremely valuable and not something most 18 year olds will have much access to (unless they choose to join this board). It constantly blows my mind how many different types of careers people can have that I was blind to when I was 18. As far as I knew, the options for my future were college to be a lawyer or doctor or no college and work in service. There are so many other options out there, but by the time I realized it, I was so far down my path that it seemed silly to switch. There is nothing wrong with giving suggestions and helping someone explore different paths.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Scooter17 »

He should look for a job in the field that he is interested in pursuing when he goes to college.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by captpete »

When I was 19 I started a job as a deckhand for an excursion boat company doing sightseeing cruises. It was a fun job that taught me a lot and I met a lot of interesting people, many of whom were in college on their summer break. A few of the deckhands were on break from maritime academies and those people inspired me to take the initiative to pursue a license. 21 years later I can say I’ve had a successful career in the maritime industry currently working on the Mississippi. I wouldn’t recommend staying in the tour boat business as long as I did, 7 years before transitioning to towboats, but it gave me insight to a very interesting career. A friend started at the same company and went on the next year to Mass Maritime and is now a Chief Mate for Maersk LLC.
American Cruise Lines is always hiring, they do excursions on the Mississippi River system and the work is fairly lax compared to the towing industry which is very physically demanding.

Good luck
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by MP173 »

Not an unusual situation in today's world.

Male attendance to college has dropped dramatically, particularly the past 2 years. Higher education is suddenly figuring out they have a problem. The reasons for young males not attending college are numerous...will not go into those reasons here other than to state that the value doesnt match the cost for a number of males.

There are a number of opportunities out there today. I agree with the comment of Trader Joe employees....what a group of people!

The transportation industry is woefully short of labor. Interesting career. Perhaps a handler at UPS or FedX would be a good fit...both companies provide employement for part time employees (students are encouraged).

Good luck.

ed
Dyloot
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Dyloot »

SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm My son has decided that college, immediately after high school, is not for him. He's intelligent, likes to work (has had a job since age 16), and is potentially interested in trade school, code school, or maybe college, but needs a little more time to mature, and be away from home. No interest in travel.

What are some options, and jobs or industries he might target? I was thinking something along the lines of seasonal work in concessions at national parks (only works in summer, though). Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?

Thanks for any ideas.
I’d try to find an IT Support Help Desk at a local company. Supporting people using technology will take you far, and the experience will pay dividends if he makes a career that benefits from better understanding of the end user experience.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by coldaudio »

If he's interested in code school, or is motivated to self-educate using the unlimited number of free learn-to-code resources online, software development is a highly lucrative career path with no formal education required.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by daheld »

My dad worked as a concrete finisher for about 40 years. I worked on a construction crew every summer from roughly 14-18 years old. Both of these things were good motivation to go to college.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by hicabob »

squirm wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:34 pm He can do ditch digging, that will motivate him for a college bound desk job.
Yup, a summer job at a sawmill set my mind straight back in the day.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Doom&Gloom »

hicabob wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:19 am
squirm wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:34 pm He can do ditch digging, that will motivate him for a college bound desk job.
Yup, a summer job at a sawmill set my mind straight back in the day.
I never had any doubts about going to college, but a couple of summers in a sawmill removed the possibility of future thoughts of not finishing school. And I didn't even have the worst jobs there.
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Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by mrmass »

Dyloot wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:58 am
SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm My son has decided that college, immediately after high school, is not for him. He's intelligent, likes to work (has had a job since age 16), and is potentially interested in trade school, code school, or maybe college, but needs a little more time to mature, and be away from home. No interest in travel.

What are some options, and jobs or industries he might target? I was thinking something along the lines of seasonal work in concessions at national parks (only works in summer, though). Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?

Thanks for any ideas.
I’d try to find an IT Support Help Desk at a local company. Supporting people using technology will take you far, and the experience will pay dividends if he makes a career that benefits from better understanding of the end user experience.
Yes, definately. I'm hiring for a person like that, and am having great difficulty.
PVW
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Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:01 am

Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by PVW »

Farm/ranch hand is a good character builder (not just because it sucks). Many unskilled jobs are just doing what the boss says and require minimal brain power. Being a ranch hand often requires you to think on your feet and deal with unfamiliar situations without guidance.
Katietsu
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Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:48 am

Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by Katietsu »

SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:25 pm Thank you for all the input!

A couple questions came up that I'll answer here.
- Travel is not a big interest, but staying somewhere a month or so, while working, would be good (like a crew building houses, or something)

My aim is not necessarily to encourage college by showing that the non-college route is tough. It's just to give him a year or so away from home, experiencing life, and help him figure out what he wants. Preferably earning money.
Given that he is only 18, is it important that he be away from home? And are you looking specifically for jobs that provide housing? Some of the situations that you might be moving towards may come with an environment with lots of drugs and/or alcohol use.

I may be reading too much into your responses or you may have a valid reason for looking for out of town opportunities. On the other hand, you could be ruling out some great options if you make this a priority. Regardless, I wish your son the best as he finds his place.
tibbitts
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Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:50 pm

Re: Jobs for teen who's not immediately college bound

Post by tibbitts »

mrmass wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:46 pm
Dyloot wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:58 am
SMV wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:53 pm My son has decided that college, immediately after high school, is not for him. He's intelligent, likes to work (has had a job since age 16), and is potentially interested in trade school, code school, or maybe college, but needs a little more time to mature, and be away from home. No interest in travel.

What are some options, and jobs or industries he might target? I was thinking something along the lines of seasonal work in concessions at national parks (only works in summer, though). Or is there some kind of lower-skilled equivalent to travel nurses?

Thanks for any ideas.
I’d try to find an IT Support Help Desk at a local company. Supporting people using technology will take you far, and the experience will pay dividends if he makes a career that benefits from better understanding of the end user experience.
Yes, definately. I'm hiring for a person like that, and am having great difficulty.
Are you considering someone with only a high-school education and no certifications or work experience or other demonstrated aptitude in the IT field?
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