We are already halfway through April which means the temperatures rising and our bank accounts are draining. Whether you are a person that loves to go out for dinner, a person that is obsessed with concerts and music festivals, or you just can not stay out of the Starbucks drive-thru, everyone could use a little extra cash this summer. I have put together some summer job ideas that most high schoolers can handle in hopes of helping out your bank account this summer. Enjoy!

• Surf Shop/Beach Store

I worked at a surf shop last summer and it was perfect for what I was looking for. No matter if the shop is on the beach or not, you will still get a good amount of customers considering the amount of surfers and beach-lovers that live in Charleston. When no one was looking around in the shop, I would keep busy by cleaning, rearranging, and switching out the inventory. It was perfect for the summer between my junior and senior year because it gave me time to work on college applications and summer work when I wasn’t distracted by my phone or friends. The hours were very manageable for me because it did not open super early and it did not close super late. I also loved having an employee discount. The only downside to this job is that most of the time there is only one person working so it can get a little boring on slow days.

• Restaurant

While most can only serve tables at 18 years old, you can still be a host or dishwasher at most restaurants at a younger age. Working in a restaurant will definitely keep you busy and there are plenty of other employees to keep you entertained and social. This can be a great way to make a good amount of money fast, especially if you are working in a nice restaurant and making big tips. A dinner restaurant can keep you at work until late hours in the night and a breakfast place may require you to come in insanely early in the morning. Either of these options is perfect if you’re a major early bird or night owl, but it is not ideal for some. Working in a restaurant is also a great way to meet all different types of people of different ages.

• Babysitting

This job is an obvious classic for high schoolers. I wouldn’t say it’s an easy job because it depends entirely on the child. With infants you have to deal with crying, milk, diapers, and spit-up, and with young children you might have to deal with temper tantrums and attitude. Tweens and young teens are easy to take care of because you’re only really hanging out with them or just making sure that they are okay. Babysitting is probably the easiest and fastest way to make a lot of cash all in one day or weekend. My personal favorite variations of babysitting are housesitting and petsitting because it is a lot less pressure to water some plants or walk a dog than it is to be in charge of a child.

• Day Camp/Surf Camp

Academic Magnet senior Burton McCulley spends her summer mornings working at Sol Surfers Surf Camp on Folly Beach and she loves it! Her favorite thing about working at surf camp is getting to work with her friends and be around children every day. Burton describes her relationship with her coworkers to be like a close knit family. Her least favorite thing about surf camp, however, is how exhausting it can be every day. She starts her day bright and early, waking up at around 7:30 am and finally gets out of the sun and waves at 1 pm. If you aren’t looking for a job, Burton still encourages all ages between 5 and 18 to sign up for lessons this summer.

“I love spending a summer day in the sun” -Burton McCulley (12)

 

• Landscaping

Hank Baer (12) does landscaping work in the summertime. He mows lawns, trims hedges, and upkeeps the maintenance of an office building’s landscape. Hank’s dad suggested this job for him and he enjoys it because he gets money. He definitely does not enjoy the heat, though! Hank’s favorite thing about his landscaping job is the money and all the tools he gets to use. He generally begins work at around 6:30 am and stops working when the job is complete usually around 11 am because the sun is so brutal during the middle of the day. When asked if he recommends this job to other Magnet students, he replied with “I guess.”

• Bagel Shop

Everyone loves bagels. Grace Reuben (12) works at Charleston Bagel all year round and she loves it. Her favorite thing about working at Charleston Bagel is being around her fellow coworkers and she thinks it is super cool to be able to make the food there. The biggest downside to working at a bagel shop is having to wake up really early. Grace wakes up at a whopping 6:20 am, but it is okay because she gets off work by 2:00 pm. She recommends working at a bagel shop to other Magnet students because it is so much fun to make the bagels, the shop closes early-ish at 2 pm, and you get good tips working there. A bagel shop is also a great place to work if you like making coffee because what goes better with a bagel than a fresh cup of coffee? I personally cannot go to any bagel shop without also getting an iced latte, so becoming a bagel shop barista is also a good job opportunity.

• Library

Coltrane Margosian (12) was a summer youth worker last summer at the Mount Pleasant Library. Coltrane mainly worked in the children’s department helping people find books, shelving books, cleaning, maintaining upkeep, and helping make sections and displays. His favorite thing about working at the library was his awesome coworkers because “librarians are just super nice people.” The biggest downside to the job was Coltrane’s brutal 40 minute trek in the summer sun to the library. While there is no employee uniform, Coltrane dressed up in a long-sleeve button down with a required name tag to keep it professional. He usually worked around late morning and afternoon and he says that the pay was a great deal for the job. Coltrane totally recommends!!