Tough Summer Jobs Market? Create a Job for Yourself!

The nation’s tough job market is making it hard to find work, especially for teens looking for summer jobs. Just ask 19 year old college student, Callie Justine. When Callie wanted to earn money for college she knew what to do, so she turned to Craigs List to find work. What she didn’t know was that there were over 200 job applicants for the one position she was qualified for. Callie didn’t get that job, and she’s not alone. Many analysts say that this year will be a tough year for young job seekers.

Finding a summer job used to be a fairly simple task. In a down economy, though, even jobs like car wash attendants can be hard to get. How can you make money this summer? The answer may be to create a job for yourself. Here are 5 summer jobs, that can be started with little or no money.

1. Sign Waver

Sign Wavers are everywhere! It’s simple work, you hold sign and wave to everyone passing by. Approach businesses in your area, and inquire about waving for them. If you’re the creative type, you could design some costume elements to attract more attention, say pizza boxes or a sombrero on your head. One dancing sign waver in the Tampa area drew so much attention that his fan base developed a face book fan page filled with photos of him.

2. Storage Auctions

Buying abandoned storage units has been popularized by several tv shows, like Auction Hunters and Storage Wars. When the owner of a storage unit stops paying, the unit is sold at auction to the highest bidder who then owns the entire contents of that unit. These repossessed storage units can yield some valuable hidden treasures like big screen TVS, cars, snowmobiles, and jewelry. Take the contents to specialty dealers, or to your local swap meet. Since bidding can go pretty high, get together with a few friends to split expenses.

3. Dog Walking/Pet Sitting

According to the American Pet Products Association, spending in the pet industry is expected to reach $56 billion by 2014, making pet care a very attractive and viable career choice. Since many of your neighbors have pets, it’s easy to start advertising this business in your own backyard. Put up flyers, and place free ads on Craig’s List. Be persistent, and spread the word among guidance counselors, family, friends, and teachers. The average pet visit earns $15 per 30-minute visit, and many clients request multiple visits per day. Check out Petsit.com for more information.

4. Baby Sitting

If you are energetic and patient, baby sitting can put extra cash in your pocket. Many families look for summer nannies, so check out the childcare section of Craig’s List in your area. You can use this free flyer template to spread the word through family & friends. The American Red Cross offers babysitting certification classes, and courses in First-Aid and CPR. Full-time nannies can make anywhere from $500-$600 for a 40-50 hour work week, while most part-time nannies earn $10-$15 per hour, making this a great paying summer job.

5. Build a Website

Everyone is an expert at something. Maybe you love horses, rock at video gaming, or know everything about getting a perfect spray tan. Whatever your passion is, you can turn that knowledge into cash. How? By building an income producing blog or website.

My passion is helping people save money. With the help of my favorite web hosting company, Solo Build It, I was able to build this site. Check them out along with the many other free and/or low cost site builders online. If you want to share your knowledge, and make some extra money in the process, why not start your own site.

Check this out for more information about creating your own summer jobs!