I want a job, so what should I get?
Need more information…
No. Don’t ever work if you don’t have to.
Enjoy it while you can. You’ll spend the rest of your life working for The Man. I say don’t.
Yes, I think it would be great. If you are in college, it would be even better if you get one in your field. When I’m hiring people fresh-out-of-college, I always give preference to those who had summer jobs related.
BUT you are only young once. Balance work with play so you can take advantage of your youth.
Get a job. Working 20 hours a week over the summer isn’t going to hinder your summer fun. In fact, it’ll enhance it greatly. Spending money rocks.
And, good luck competing with all the “middle-aged, experienced with degree - but out of work due to layoff” folks!!
Man, this economy just sucks.
You may have to take any summer job you CAN get. My brother finally found one, after trying to get all sorts of office jobs, and it involves pizza and a minimum wage. This is temporary until he goes off to boot camp in November (Air Force) but I am anticipating several months of complaining about this job. However, as the parental units are charging rent, he needs to have money to pay it.
I would say yes. If nothing else you will get some spending money out of it, and that’s always a nice thing to have.
Your profile says you’re only 14…in my experience, most places don’t hire 14 year olds. I’m not sure if child labor laws forbid it (minimum age requirement is either 14 or 15), but they sure restrict the hours you can work and such, making it a pain in the ass for someone to employ you when you’re under 16. Even if you could find someone to hire you, I’d say wait awhile (if you are indeed 14 still), and enjoy your youth while you can. Sure, if you work you’ll have more money to spend, but you won’t really have the time to spend it. I hate to say it, but mooch off your parents while you can.
Yes, at 14, take advantage of the opportunity to goof off. Unless you really, really want more spending money than the parents are willing to give you, in which case you might be able to do some limited work – you can usually work up to 20 hours a week in a formal job under age 16, or you can do things like babysit or pet-sit or yardwork or something along those lines to make a bit of extra $$. (Unless your family has its own business, where if you want to work in it, the child labor laws are applied very differently.)
But I say hang out with your friends, sleep in, and enjoy it while you can – it’s not going to last much longer!
Oh, he’s 14.
I retract my previous statement.
Goof off, suckah.
This thread is better suited for In My Humble Opinion. I’ll move it for you.
Cajun Man ~ SDMB Moderator
She. 
You know all those Parisians who give Frenchmen a rep for being rude? They all have summer jobs and look how it makes them. Working in the summer is uncool, having someone work for you while you summer in Nice or Biarritz is cool. Don’t do it.
McDonald’s prides itself in hiring 14 and 15-year olds, then making them do things that are illegal for <16 yr olds… (do things with the grills, use cutting machines, etc.), and being able to turn the other way and ignore them… >2 years and according to the injury log, I’ve never even scratched myself :rolleyes:
Seriously, if you can put up with ridicule from friends, retarded customers and employees, periods of strenous work with no reward, etc., than McD’s is for you. (actually, you can probably ignore the first one. It’s fun to rub $400 in your friends’ faces. Not as much fun when you start driving, etc., and your paychecks are gone before you get them :(. )
Even if you hate your job there is something nice about havin one
As a wise old 21-year-old, I would recommend at least looking around for one. There’s not much you can do at 14, so if you’re not hired, you can always try again next year.
I really wish I would have worked in high school - I could have helped out more in paying for college and might not have had to take out so many loans. If you start now or next year, that’s 4-5 solid summers of paychecks, which can really add up.
At 14, I don’t know of too much that you can do. And enjoy it, jeez, plenty of years of drudgery and toil ahead of you.
Dishwashing in a restaurant can probably be done by 14 year olds, but it depends on your state. I’d take it easy this summer, but get a job next summer. Get yourself some money when you’re 15, but also SAVE some to help pay for drivers license/car expenses when youre 16 and older. I started working at 15, and while I hated the jobs I had the first 4 summers, I LOVED having the money, and being able to save up for something I wanted, and generally always being able to go out, while friends who didnt start working til 18 or so complained about never having money. And now I’m in a job related to my field of study, and I love it, but I know I wouldn’t have this job without at least a couple years of waitressing under me (just to show that I CAN work efficiently).
At your age, unless you are hired by a family member/friend to do a particular task, you probably aren’t going to be doing anything particularly fun or well-paying. However, don’t let that stop you. ask friends/family members if they need help with anything business-wise. My little brother’s best friend worked as an aide to a county representative and worked in City Hall; the rep was his neighbor. This summer, I had offers to be hired as a piano tutor, because people in my neighborhood know I’ve played the piano for a while and am currently taking lessons myself. So look around and find people that know your own skills. I’d say thats the best way to start.
You have a lifetime to tie yourself down in miserable jobs you’ll grow to hate. Better to work with someone who knows you personally and build up a good resume/pool of references.