It’s already difficult to find a job you enjoy when you’re young. Balancing school, friends, family, and other obligations can lead to a packed schedule with limited time for a part-time role. Taking these varied obligations into account, it can be tough to find a job that fits into your life. During COVID-19, it’s been even tougher on teens to find a job – tons of businesses experienced reduced hours throughout the pandemic, and many permanently closed as a result.
While it might feel near impossible to find a job during this time, it’s certainly not out of the question. When considering a role that’s right for you, it’s important to determine what you are looking for in a job. Are you looking to buy something you’ve been looking forward to? Do you want to have more spending money when you are out with your friends? Or do you simply want to start to save up money? All of these and more may be true for you. Narrowing down your objectives for your part-time job can help you decide what options are the right fit for you.
Once you’ve considered your reasons for finding a part-time job, it’s time to do some research. You will want to determine details for the kind of job you’re looking for. Do you want to work with kids? Are you looking to work in a group, or on a more one-on-one basis? Figuring our what you want your day-to-day schedule at your job to look like will make your decisions easier, and the process of sorting through potential jobs less overwhelming.
Understanding the impact COVID-19 has had on our lives, you always want to ensure you are considering your personal safety and the safety of others as your top concern when choosing a job. Taking all these points into consideration, there are plenty of ways for you to earn money safely during the pandemic:
Babysitting
Throughout COVID-19, multiple schools have had to switch to virtual or hybrid learning styles. Because of this shift, many parents have been left scrambling to find someone to watch their children at home while they go to work. A babysitter can ensure the students are safe at home throughout the day and stay on top of kids’ varied learning schedules.
The ideal babysitter needs to be organized, good with kids of all ages, and comfortable maintaining rules set by parents. You can expect to receive a breakdown of how parents want their children to be cared for during your time working. Because this job requires a lot of responsibility, babysitting is a perfect way to establish a long-term job supporting families that frequently require additional childcare. If you consistently meet their expectations, you can count on parents to call you back anytime they need a babysitter. Parents will be relieved to have a trustworthy and responsible person watching their kids, and you can get a rewarding job experience!
Delivery Driving
To avoid crowded restaurants and grocery stores, many people have taken advantage of meal and grocery delivery services. This has led many locations to expand their delivery and takeout offers and grow their staff to accommodate for this changing environment. Now more than ever, many restaurants and stores are looking for dedicated delivery people to serve their multiple takeout customers. This means you have a lot of options when it comes to deciding where you might like to work.
Local establishments and stores are often hiring for delivery people to manage their long list of delivery orders. Sometimes, you can expect to fulfill multiple roles depending on your place of work – sometimes you may be delivering orders, and sometimes you may be working at the register. Depending on the demands of the job and types of orders these locations typically get, there may be an opportunity to balance a few roles in one place. Before you take a delivery job, be sure to establish what the expectations are and how you might be spending your time during your shifts.
To become a delivery driver, you need a valid driver’s license in your state, and a vehicle to make deliveries. In some cases, your workplace may provide you with a delivery car – but many require you to have your own. Before you apply for a delivery job, find out what their requirements are so you can determine whether you fit their restrictions.
Virtual Tutoring
In these new virtual learning environments, now more than ever students need extra support when it comes to their studies. It is more difficult to pinpoint where a student is struggling while they are learning from home and in less personalized education environments. Because of the stress virtual learning can cause, many students who may otherwise be succeeded in school may find themselves having a tough time.
Working as a tutor allows you to lend your knowledge and skills in subjects you enjoy to students in need. You can set up virtual learning sessions that focus directly on the student you work with to ensure you are covering all the topics they are struggling with. As a tutor, you can work one-on-one with students and feel rewarded when they accomplish their goals.
Establishing yourself as a good tutor in your community can lead to multiple tutoring opportunities even after the pandemic. Parents tend to recommend good tutors to other parents – you could climb to the top of their list!
When applying for jobs – maybe even your first – it’s important to communicate your skills and how you are a great fit for the position to your potential employer. You can expect to be interviewed for the jobs you’re interested in – even if you’re just working with a family. Interviews are your time to show your potential future employer why you’re the right choice for the job, and how your unique skills and experiences can help you excel.
During the pandemic and beyond, employers are looking for dedicated employees they can trust to do the job right. Take advantage of these opportunities to find a job that’s right for you!
