Jobs for College Kids in Trying Times

With respect to employment, perhaps the worst hit demographic during the current recession has been teens. The department of labor reports that there is a very high unemployment rate of 20% among teenagers aged 16 to 19. This is the highest unemployment rate among workers with respect to the different age groups. Teens of this age are often still financially dependent on their parents, if not, they usually still get a lot of financial support from them. Worse yet, if kids are not in college, they no longer qualify to be in their parents insurance.

A lot of kids are in need of spare cash, especially in the summer. For teens in need of employment, here are some summer jobs of which they may not have thought:

Internships and apprenticeships
Kids often bypass internships and apprenticeships in favor or earning higher wages when they get out of college. Long term though, internships and apprenticeships can open doors to more lucrative opportunities in the future. With the employment situation being what it is, internships and apprenticeships are better than not having a job at all, they also offer big potential rewards in the future.

Tom Cath, director of Valparaiso University’s career center in Valparaiso says these particular career outlets are “solid investments” in the future of college students. However, alot of these opportunities are not advertised within schools and universities. Students need to take initiative to search and apply for these opportunities. They could become future employers whether there’s a listing or not. It may be tough to find an internship that pays well these days, but apprenticeships always pay relatively well. If you are content with just gaining experience and improving your resume, there are a lot of unpaid internships open.

Should you find yourself having to settle for an unpaid internship, Cath advises that you should at least ask for a meal, parking and or a transportation allowance. Be sure to ask your school for academic credit as well. That way you can get some financial help from your job. Cath also advises students to inquire about internships at their schools’ career centers, or financial aid offices, such jobs could also be of help financially.

Cooperative learning programs
An option that has been available for some time, but that is worth looking at these days, is a cooperative learning program. Cooperative learning programs are designed so that students can go to school, and earn at the same time. A student studies full time for one semester, then spends the next working at a job related to his or her field for the next semester.

According to the National Commission for Cooperative Education, a Boston-based advocacy group, co-op students usually bring home more money than kids with summer jobs. With a co-op learning program, a kid can earn between $200 to $1,167 per month. What’s more, 95% of kids on co-op learning programs find jobs immediately after graduation. Interested parties can go to their school’s career center or experimental learning office to ask what co-op learning programs are available.

Research grants
Research grants are really great opportunities to improve your resume and make a bit of money on the side as well. Colleges often offer these, so do a lot of private companies and government entities. A lot of college students use research grants to pay for their board and lodging while they are in school. It is best to apply for grants as early as February or March, it they are looking for grant in the fall semester, they need to start looking in the spring.

The most convenient and logical place to start looking is your school. If you can’t find anything there, you can try scholarship sites, government organizations post openings on students.gov, and even private corporations connected to your course.

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