Best jobs for a 16 year old?

[guido911]

My best summer job was working at the movie theater.   Worked my way up to projectionist..
Was fun, had a bit of responsibility, and lots of free movies.

Me too, between 16-18 years old, but at a drive in. My very best friends today are those I worked with at that time. I do recall interviewing for a legal runner/errand boy job at a law firm (I wanted to be a lawyer then, as I am today). Lost it to a law student but at least I got an interview...

[neversummer23]

You doing any programming now?  (NOT game playing related....)

Some of the fast foods will hire you for non-cooking stuff - at least that's the rumor I have heard.

Maybe doing "cleanup on aisle 6" for Whole Foods.  Just ask them.  And if you are near Brookside (since you brought up Whole Foods) go up and down the street asking everyone - no matter who it is.  Check the car dealers to see if they need someone to push a broom and clean the restrooms.  

If you can get in the door, and then make yourself useful, they will keep you over most of the 16 year old out there.  

Lose the cell phone and especially texting.  (Nothing gets someone fired at my place faster than sitting around texting or talking when there is work to do.  And there is ALWAYS work to do.)

Don't remember all the places down the street, but I know there are a lot.  Check the TV station to see if their janitorial people need a go-fer.  (Ask your parent(s) or favorite uncle what a go-fer is if you don't already know.)

Obviously you have some incentive just getting here and talking about it.  Convert talk to action.  Adapt, innovate, improvise.  Any business you see needs some kind of help, if you are willing to work.

The gold standard would be McDonald's.  If you can survive there, you will get first class training in a wide variety of life skills.  If I were looking for help right now, I would actively be looking for a McDonald's assistant manager who had been in the program for a couple of years.

Look at industrial places - maybe a small to medium would hire for shop helper (pushing a broom and straightening up) and if you get in the door, you will learn.  You might learn something that interests you for future work.  Never sit down!!  No whining!!  In other words, don't be a 16 year old.  Channel a 25 year old who needs the work to support a wife and new kid!  Be desperate!

Pep Boys.  Harley Shops.  Stocker.  Braums.  Kohls.  Target.  RV dealer.  Boat shop.
Start at "A" in the yellow pages, and go through until someone hires you.  And no, NEVER call them.  Dress right and go in person.  If they show any interest, like just giving you an application to fill out, check back without being a pest - who knows, they might hire you just to get you off their back!

Good luck!!  Hope you find something!

I have pretty good knowledge in Visual Basic(not that it matters) and a good amount of Python, some Java, and miniscule C++. Thanks for the help on not calling them! That was the first thing I was going to do.

Edit: I would also like something that teaches some skills.

[Ed W]

I have pretty good knowledge in Visual Basic(not that it matters) and a good amount of Python, some Java, and miniscule C++. Thanks for the help on not calling them! That was the first thing I was going to do.

Edit: I would also like something that teaches some skills.

How about tutoring other kids in computer skills or math?  I'm assuming you have good math ability.  Teaching a subject forces you to learn it well because students are adept at finding weaknesses.

For that matter, perhaps there's a computer camp in the area that needs counselors, instructors or aides. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

McDonald's is the one you definitely want then.  You will learn an incredible array of skills that will be of value beyond calculation working there through high school.  And NO, I am not being a smartass, or kidding about this - it teaches you life skills, communication skills, dealing with people skills, motivational skills, putting up with a jerk boss skills, cleaning the crapper skills - EVERYTHING you WILL NOT GET in ANY engineering/scientific program you may enter in the future.

And since you appear to be pointed toward the Geek Kingdom - do yourself another huge favor; in high school AND college - take one each of a creative writing course and some kind of speech/public speaking course.  More if you can handle it!

In no way am I trying to dissuade you from Geekville - Red Arrow and I are getting old and will be leaving the workforce probably around the time you are ready to get into it seriously.  We as a country and society need the Geeks more than 99% of the rest of the population can EVER begin to imagine.  And corporate America has been doing a number on us for decades!  Millions have been lost over the last few decades.  (Red, would you agree?)

Before becoming totally lost to Dilbertville, though, get some other exposures so you will be a more well-rounded individual.

And before you become overly enamored with video game programming - there are plenty of them out there already.  Get a more well rounded education than just "Computer Engineering".  And whatever you do, run like the wind from "Computer Science".  It ain't science.  It ain't engineering. 

Be an engineer! (I can't believe I am saying this...I bet Red Arrow will have some comment.)  And there are only two types of engineers - Electrical and Mechanical.  Well, maybe Chemical.  And EVERYTHING else is a subset of one of those.  (Yes, Civil IS a subset of Mechanical!)  Don't be blinded by the bright flashing lights and slick propaganda!  These are the only ones!  Trust me!  But verify - start talking now to some colleges.  OSU in Tulsa/Stillwater.  TU if your family has some money.  Both have world class programs and people who would be thrilled to talk to you.  Talk to the department heads if you can.  If you can catch them in that rare mood of getting outside the position of administrator, they will admit that is true, but will deny if you ever tell anyone they said so.

Glad to help!  Don't forget to not call people - go visit someone, or two, everyday!  "Cold calls" are an extremely valuable skill to learn, too.  (Right Gaspar??)

[Red Arrow]

I can't speak directly to the McDonalds route.  I had other opportunities, one of which I lost to affirmative action after two previous summers there. The McDonalds concept is correct though.  If nothing else, it will make you work harder in school.  It only took one summer in the oil patch to convince my brother he wanted to do something else with his life.

I do recommend being literate whatever you do.  When I whined about taking English in high school, my dad (an Electrical Engineer) told me that an engineer that cannot communicate his product to others is worthless.  When I was in High School, one semester of Public Speaking class was required to graduate.  It was both terrifying and fun.  It was all friends and classmates in the same boat.   It's a skill you will need in the workplace, anywhere from a shop floor leader to a CEO.

A lot of engineering jobs have been lost.  I contribute much of it to shortsighted economic policy.  I'll stay out of politics on this here but I think some of the famous business schools have lost the big picture.

Be an engineer?  Check into it.   It has to be something you want to do or you won't be successful.  The education will give you a background in how and why things work and how to solve problems which would allow you to branch into almost any direction if you get tired of crunching numbers.

[Gaspar]

Ready for this?

From 15 to 16 I drove a Jet A fuel truck at the airport (Jones Riverside).

From 3:00pm when school got out to 11:30pm I fueled airplanes.

That was a great job! 

Private pilots tip well.

[Red Arrow]

Ready for this?
From 15 to 16 I drove a Jet A fuel truck at the airport (Jones Riverside).
From 3:00pm when school got out to 11:30pm I fueled airplanes.
That was a great job! 
Private pilots tip well.

Private pilots that require jet fuel usually have more $ (to spend on tips) than private pilots requiring Avgas.  Plus, what was the price of fuel then?

I'm glad you had the opportunity while the gettin' was good.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Part of my first job (15 to 17) was to go to the owners horse pasture and stable twice a year.  And shovel you know what out of the barn.  At $1.25 per hour.  Timing was winter and summer.  January or February and July or August.  That was fun.

And NO, that was not a complaint.  I learned an amazing amount of stuff there that I have used up to today.  In fact, later this evening, or maybe tomorrow morning, I plan to do some welding - using the skills I learned at that shop.

Red,
What the hell happened to you to turn you to the dark side (Mechanical) from the light (Electrical)?


Neversummer,
Red hit it right on the head - another extremely valuable lesson to be learned from McDonald's, that I was remiss in not listing.  It is that you don't want to do that work for your entire career.  But for now, there is not much better (and better for you!)

[Red Arrow]

Red,
What the hell happened to you to turn you to the dark side (Mechanical) from the light (Electrical)?

My dad and one of his brothers were EE.  An uncle was Chem E. Dad was only a few courses short of an ME but was not allowed a double degree at that time.  I liked radios (dad was a Ham operator) but kind of liked mechanical things a bit more. When I started college as Engineering undeclared, I was matched with the head of the Mechanical Engineering Dept for an academic advisor.  I liked it and stayed.

When I got drafted and joined the Navy to stay out of the Army or Marines, I chose Aviation Electronics Tech over paint chipper or deck swabber.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I started out pointing at ME.  Then got diverted by the bright lights and sparkle.

Looking back, I think law school would have been something to do right after the first few degrees.  Could be rich by now!!  And it would have been sooooo much easier than what we had to go through!!  Was joking about it the other day, but patent law might not be a bad idea, even now.

[Ed W]

My first job was as a busboy in a Howard Johnson's restaurant.  But I've worked in retail, a psychiatric hospital, an electronics factory, and more, including a memorable stint as a sewer worker.  Trust me, after working in sewers, anything is a step up.

My point is - if you want to work and someone offers it, grab on with both hands.  At eighteen, I never thought I'd use a shovel to make a living, but when times were hard, the work and the income it brought were very welcome.

[Gaspar]

Private pilots that require jet fuel usually have more $ (to spend on tips) than private pilots requiring Avgas.  Plus, what was the price of fuel then?

I'm glad you had the opportunity while the gettin' was good.

Probably lucky to be alive.  The clutch and a couple of the break pads were "non-existent" on our Jet A truck.  Find it and grind it, then squeal to a stop under-wing.  I always thought it was funny jamming the truck from gear to gear, then having sparks fly out of the hubs as I stopped, only to make sure I attached the ground cable to the plane before pumping so there wouldn't be any static discharge. 

[Nik]

My best summer job was working at the movie theater.   Worked my way up to projectionist..
Was fun, had a bit of responsibility, and lots of free movies.

I did the same thing at AMC. Worked there for about a year and a half. Really enjoyed working the projectors.

[Conan71]

Probably lucky to be alive.  The clutch and a couple of the break pads were "non-existent" on our Jet A truck.  Find it and grind it, then squeal to a stop under-wing.  I always thought it was funny jamming the truck from gear to gear, then having sparks fly out of the hubs as I stopped, only to make sure I attached the ground cable to the plane before pumping so there wouldn't be any static discharge. 

If you worked at Christiansen, (aka Lease-A-Plane) I think they still had the same fuel truck in their fleet as late as 1997 or so.

[Gaspar]

If you worked at Christiansen, (aka Lease-A-Plane) I think they still had the same fuel truck in their fleet as late as 1997 or so.

Tulsa Piper. . .Worked for Cowboy Bill Watts.

Made the mistake when I was 15 of asking my dad for an allowance (met with laughter).  The next day I was to report to my new job.

When they told me I would be driving a fuel truck, I said I was only 15.  They said no problem, we'll teach you.  It was hard work and it was a blast!