A summer away from home while building up your bank account may not be an impossible dream; it's possible with the help of teen summer travel jobs.
Ideas for Teen Summer Travel Jobs
Amusement Park Employee
Every day can feel like a carnival when you spend your summer at an amusement park. From ride operators to food service to in-park entertainment, there are a variety of positions offering the potential for teen summer travel jobs. The following are just a few of the parks looking for your help:
- Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio needs close to 5,000 seasonal employees each year. Employees must be at least 18 years old, or 17 years old and graduated from high school, to live in Cedar Point housing. Check out available jobs and apply online.
- Six Flags offers 20 amusement parks in 11 states across the U.S. Some jobs are open to 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds, while others require employees to be at least 18. View available positions by location, and apply online. Those interested in working as an entertainer will have to participate in a separate audition process.
- Disney provides a unique paid internship program for college students at Disney World and Disneyland. Visit the website or stop by an on-campus presentation at your school to learn more.
- Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld San Diego, seeks seasonal employees. They also offer co-op and internship opportunities for college and high school students. Search by park and job type to find out about available work and requirements.
Baby-Sitter
Families occasionally look for someone to accompany them on vacation, allowing the parents some much-needed alone time while a baby-sitter entertains the children. You'll have a better chance of landing a baby-sitting job in Hawaii if you already have steady baby-sitting clients who trust you and know you get along great with their kids. You can also let friends, family members, and neighbors know you're available for long-term baby-sitting.
Camp Staff
A summer at camp provides lasting memories, and these young campers need a guiding hand from older staff members. No matter what your interest or specialty, from academics to sports, there's sure to be a camp with a relevant focus. Some "camps" aren't even located on campgrounds; they're residential programs on college campuses. If you've attended a camp in the past, you may want to make the jump from camper to counselor. If you don't already have a job in mind, CoolWorks.com lists several camps seeking staff, divided by region. Peterson's also provides a searchable database of summer camps. Even though this site is meant to help you find a camp to attend, you can still use it to find a suitable program that may be in need of workers.
National Park Jobs
National parks need assistance in dealing with the yearly influx of summer tourists, providing a perfect opportunity for nature lovers. CoolWorks.com features a comprehensive list of parks and their employee needs. Parks typically need workers for customer service, maintenance, and food service roles, and many offer on-site living options like employee dormitories.
Things to Remember
- Think about what you want to gain from the experience. If you just want to make some money, you might be better off with a job at a local fast food restaurant once you factor in the cost of transportation, food, and housing. However, if you're looking to build your resume, meet new people, and step out of your comfort zone, a job in a far-off location might be perfect for you.
- Older teens looking for work after high school graduation or a year of college will have even more summer travel job opportunities.
- Whatever job you choose, your employer is hiring you to work. It doesn't matter if it's a perfect day for lounging on the beach, if you have bathroom clean-up duty, that's how you'll be spending your time.
- Read your contract carefully. You may want to ask your parents to read it too, so everyone understands exactly what you're agreeing to in accepting the job. How many hours are you expected to work each week? How much money will be taken out of your paycheck for living expenses? How many weeks are you required to work?
- Know the rules and follow them. If the employee dorm has a curfew, be in your room. If there's a dress code, wear appropriate clothing. If you're not allowed to use a piece of equipment, don't touch it. While it's never good to be fired from a job, it's especially bad when you're fired from a job hundreds of miles from home.
