High school jobs

Looking for ideas for high schooler jobs. Located in st.charles mn. The kids loves to be outdoors and isn’t afraid to get dirty at all. Any suggestions help, thanks!!!

There are farms everywhere in these parts (SE MN), that’s what I’d suggest. Is he in sports or other after school activities? I milked cows on our family farm until about 9th grade, that’s when sports practices started taking up my after school time.

You’re on the right track by looking into it, so many things that can be learned, even on a small level: Hard work, showing up on time, interacting with co-workers and the public, paychecks, taxes, reliable transportation, etc. And honestly one thing I would advise would be longevity. I don’t care if it’s what some consider extremely low-end jobs, like a cashier or sandwich artist, if a kid’s future resume or college application can show a few years at one job, no matter how small, versus jumping around and never staying at one place too long, that’ll show loyalty and commitment to future employers.

He plays basketball and football. His spring “sport” is trout fishing. And summer is free. He also has his license

Being free in the summer is good, I would think lots of farmers could use the help for hay season. Sometimes the schools have a few summertime jobs, like coaching younger sports or assisting with some summer rec. programs. I also ump’d some baseball games when I was in high school for younger kids and made a few bucks here and there. I think it’s great you’re looking into this, just think the job you and him come up with will be something he always remembers and may even be the answer to a future interview question!

Very true, thank you for you’re help!

Find a lawn service company, they are always looking for reliable help, mowing, edging, blowing, etc.
The one my son works for gives a $1 an hour bonus for every hour worked if you report on time each morning. He makes an extra 40-60 dollars a week from just being on time.
Now, my kid fights me every time I want to want to head up North early as I am taking money out of him pocket..

Excavating contractors, underground (or overhead) utility contractors, landscaping contractors are all in short supply of laborers and should pay well. Lawn services too. Or the real gravy, apply at the City Public Works.

I worked part time at a resort on mille lacs when in high school. Other than that mowed lawns, raked leaves and any other number of various jobs that local cabin owners needed. Outdoors all the time.

Started out back then working for myself. 35 years later still working for myself.

The local hardware store is a GREAT place to learn a ton of practical life skills in short order at that age.

In a previous job I supervised about 50 part time employees, most of them were high school aged, seasonal in the summer months, with a few that were part time year round during the school year too.

I would say to treat your “first job” as a learning experience to build on for the rest of your life. Make it enjoyable, build a mindset that work can be fun and you can enjoy it everyday. Be on time. Do not let your supervisor know last minute that you cannot make it in, especially when you’ve known the work schedule for 2 months and known about said practice, tournament, vacation, etc. for just as long.

Treat the hiring process like a professional would so you can learn from it for the future- fill out the application, follow up with a phone call, dress up for the interview, bring a pen and paper, take notes, ask questions, have references, etc. Even if it is just for an informal job with a family friend or something. One thing I hated was when I had to coordinate the interview time or the work schedule with the parents- let the kid handle EVERYTHING.

The trickiest thing with high schoolers is their availability, but if they are a quality worker, polite, let me know the days they can’t make ahead of time, and on time when they should be, then I will work around their sports schedule. Lots of them have a schedule that looks something like this with sports: 7:00-8:30am – Strength & Conditioning training, 9-10:3am – Basketball Practice/Open Gym, 3:00-4:30 Strength & Conditioning if you couldn’t make it in the morning, 5:00-6:00 – Football practice or 7-7 practice. Then throw in an evening summer basketball league, or a baseball league, maybe band practice, drivers ed training, appointments, family vacations, or maybe even them being in charge of driving around their younger siblings.

Just let the high schooler know that, yes it is nice to make money right now, but you are really into this job to develop yourself into a quality worker down the road. To get a resume built, to get a reference for a future job, to learn how to hold yourself accountable and be on time, to be professional.

Most county hwy depts have summer employee opportunities…I did this for two summers. It was great work helping mow ditches, resurface roads, fix culverts, etc…and when it rains, well, its a county job….

Check with the DNR too. They have summer jobs available once in a while.

I bailed hay for hire. Had an add in the newspaper every week at 12 years old.

Also Shingled for a contractor.

General farm work for local farmers.

Worked on our farm.
Shot ducks for a dog trainer.

That was 12-15 yrs old.

16 I had a license and worked construction building hog barns. Highest earning job for a young guy in the area.

The city kids would give me grief that I didn’t do weight training or other activities in the summer. Of course I could kick all their arses so who was the dummy.

Band practice was like once a week… Yeah that’s not happening either.

Pretty hard to earn money when your busy. I’d never trade those years of hard work for summer bball practices etc. Glad my parents raised me that way.

City maintenance or County Maintenance department jobs are great for High Schoolers in the summer. I worked in the mechanic shop for my local county. Oil changes and general maintenance. Great job.

Deke12 wrote:

He plays basketball and football. His spring “sport” is trout fishing. And summer is free. He also has his license

Not so ironically the neighbor I cleaned the freestall barn for started evening milking pretty much right about when football/wrestling practice got over with after school. Myself and another kid split cleaning duties so we were every other night during school, in summer we traded weekly for morning or evening duties.

If you can find someone who still does ‘small’ square bales, tossing bales in an ungodly hot hay mow is a great way to get/keep yourself in shape for the fall semester season. Mondays we had to do hay we’re always a pain in summer, Monday was upper body workout day with the group I lifted weights with in summer. But at 16-18 you bounce back pretty fast, if I tried that routine now I’d probably tip over stone dead.

404 ERROR wrote:

The local hardware store is a GREAT place to learn a ton of practical life skills in short order at that age.

I worked in a local Hardware store and it’s amazing what I learned in 4 yrs. Plumbing, electrical, automotive, small engine repair, glass/screen repair, paint, inventory, ordering and maybe the most important for a young kid communication skills. I would not be where I am today without that job.

I washed and detailed cars at a car dealership. learned a ton about vehicle maintenance and what not. I also my sr yr and into college worked wtih a small construction company. I can’t tell you how valuable that experience was. I do all my own work 90% of the time.

Joe Scegura wrote:

I worked in a local Hardware store and it’s amazing what I learned in 4 yrs. Plumbing, electrical, automotive, small engine repair, glass/screen repair, paint, inventory, ordering and maybe the most important for a young kid communication skills. I would not be where I am today without that job.

Yup! Same. Pay wasn’t great but the skills learned have helped me in home-ownership for sure.

It’s a few months away yet but i sold sweet corn at that age during the summer months for a farmer just south of eyota they always had plenty of trucks and sellers alike lots of high school and college kids worked there , farm is on the same gravel road as Ron’s berry farm sandwiched between hwy 14 and county rd 9 it’s probably less then ten miles from st Charles i found it to be a fun job and valuable lessons were learned along the way . It was called Produce
Plus back then

When he becomes a top seller ask em about getting in on the weekend trips to Wisconsin that was the peak of that job for me , oh yeah…the endless supply of fresh veggies best sweet corn around was a nice perk to that job also, goes all summer into late fall most years right into selling pumpkins and gords and mums along with everything else

I would try landscaping/mowing first.

poomunk wrote:

find someone who still does ‘small’ square bales

If you want your kid to be miserable, this is a great idea

I grew up on a farm and grew to dislike it quite a bit. I knew at a young age that my future profession wouldn’t be taking over the family farm. My first job was a cook at Chuck E Cheese in Rochester If he wants some GREAT employee discounts on outdoor gear, have him apply for a cashier at scheels. I worked there for a bit a few years ago. Loved it. Would still be working there if I still lived in the area. They’re more than willing to be flexible with sport schedules as well.

I started working on a farm at 12(should have never asked my parents for skis), and continued all through high school. Once I had my license I started working at the local hardware store part time as well. It kept me in a job with regular hours during the school year. By that time I was helping out a few farmers who were nice enough to just let me show up when my other job and school allowed. Once you get to know a few farmers there’s always work to fill your free time. I wouldn’t trade either of those jobs and the education that came along with them!

Laborer for concrete work teaches him hard work

When I helped a buddy out with his cabling company running field crews, I picked up a few part-timers for summer help. The couple that I kept on all summer were high school and college kids that had awesome parents. Taught them well. The kids came in and knew one thing – if they worked harder, more accurate, and demanded more tasks they would always have a job.

One in particular that I will always remember. Started begging me for a job in April before summer vacation of his junior to senior year. I got sick of the weekly visits and all the BS promises that he made. His deal was he would do whatever it took and supply his own hand tools if I could keep him busy from June to the last week of Aug. Naturally, he didn’t know anything but kept asking me to teach him. So, I broke down and hired him.
1st day I pulled into the parking lot at about 6:15am and the crews started at 7 (usually were all there by 6:50) 6:20, he walks in and the first thing he says is If I come in early on my own time, can you teach me more so I don’t look dumb? Interesting concept!!
I stopped in at the job during lunch to check on the crew. Nearly everyone went to a sub shop for lunch and here this kid is sitting on a cable spool eating a bagged lunch. End of the day, he is about 15 minutes behind everyone coming back to the office, mentions he stayed behind and hauled the trash out and swept up the closets…… Every day, early to work, stayed a few minutes later, asked for any available overtime, and continually bought hand tools to be able to do more specialty work. Sad day when he went back to school.
He did this exact same thing his senior year, and 4 years of college.
He told me about his “savings plan” and this blew me away.
His dad matched 50% of what he saved every year as long as he never missed a day of work, a class, and maintained whatever grade level it was. The kid NEVER spent a dollar unless it would make him more money, NEVER went out for lunch, when out of town NEVER went to the bars and put 75% of every check in the savings. When his college tuition bills came around, he paid cash – in full when he could. UW Madison Grad – School of Engineering, and had nearly no debt. This kid I am confident has gone on to huge things in life. I never spoke to him again after his last year with us. But he set the bar for what a part time job can be about. Just wish that the other 80 guys I had worked like him!
My point is if he has the ethics and determination, don’t sell him short on his opportunities. 3 months of an employee that strives to be the best and over-achieve has a lot of value and many trades would be willing to consider a short-term employee like that