Babysitting (…yup):

This may not be the “coolest” job on the list, but if you can handle it, you can make a quite a good amount of cash. This job is pretty abundant. Ask around your neighborhood or some close friends. There will always be someone in need of a babysitter. You really need to know what you’re getting yourself into if you sign yourself up for this job though. As we all know, kids aren’t exactly the most cooperative, and sometimes can be a bit of a brat. You need to learn to be stern with kids, yet also have the sensitivity needed for when they get upset, and also to just be a good friend that the kids can trust. Also, there are different levels of babysitting. You can be the person who watches the kids when the parents go out or are on a “business” meeting, or you could be the person who watches them on the afternoons they get home from school and mom is still at work, and also make them snacks and help them with their homework. Obviously, the latter would get paid more. The job can be quite a hassle, and is not really recommended for people with high stress levels. However, regardless, if you feel like you’re up to it, babysitting is definitely something to consider.

Pay: $8-20 an hour

Hours: from 30 minutes to many hours (be prepared!)

Compromise: A LOT of your time!

Perks: good pay

Qualifications: PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE!

Teacher of the Arts (huh?):

Put your talents to good use! Piano lessons, guitar lessons, painting lessons, yoga lessons (just please, no singing lessons)! The list goes on! If you don’t have the patience for babysitting, and want to make a LOT of cash, then this is definitely for you. Start handing out flyers telling people that you can teach their kids to be superstars! All parents want talented kids, and sometimes pay and arm and a leg to get it. You can post these at schools, gyms, libraries… All you have to do is put your e-mail and phone number on them, said talent, maybe even your very own dedicated website, and you will most certainly be contacted. What makes this great though, is that you make your very own schedule! Say you have nothing to do all week, except Wednesday, in which you have volleyball practice (cooking club). No practice on Wednesday! Easy Peasy! The standard thing for lessons is around 30 minutes a lesson, and maybe about three lessons a day. Basically, this is probably the most flexible and effective way to make some money.

Pay: $10-15 a lesson

Hours: 30 minutes a lesson

Compromise: You’re still working with kids

Perks: Make your own schedule! | Work at home

Qualifications: You actually have to be GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO! |No, this isn’t as intense as baby sitting, but you still need to have patience for when kids don’t get it right the first time| You need at least some bit of charisma if you want to keep students

Local Amusement Parks (easy peasy-ER!):

Amusement parks attract over-charismatic teens like moths. No, we don’t all live around the corner from Six Flags, but chances are there’s some roller coaster sensation in your community.  Amusement parks are great places to work with friends, especially with all of the park benefits you would get. This is, by FAR, the easiest set of jobs on the list. You would either, sit in a chair pressing the go button, check passenger seatbelts, or sell concessions. Any way you go, you’re mostly sitting. So if you’re lazy and you know it, here’s your job. Responsibility is key though, especially if you’re the one checking the seatbelts. The last thing you want is somebody falling out mid-loop on your shift. Although if you get the job, I’m pretty sure they’ll run you through it. All in all, you’re sitting in a chair for minimum wage. What else could you want?

Pay: minimum wage

Hours: flexible

Compromise: You’re watching everybody else have all of the fun

Perks: Most parks give their employees great park benefits | Lots of people |There’s not much to it

Qualifications: Responsibility | CHARISMAAH! | The ability to do sit for long periods of time

Diners (roller-skates!):

Really, the only reason this one made the list is because diners are cool. The only difference between diners and chain restaurants is the food and the people.  And the only difference in working in one is the ability to say that you work at a diner. If there is a good diner around you, and you want a low-key job, a good diner isn’t a bad idea. Usually, diners are friendlier than chain restaurants and there is a better atmosphere from the people who work there, which usually includes the owner as the cook. So if you choose a diner, you will probably have fun. Of course, just like a chain restaurant, you are working for minimum wage, but you do wait tables, and that’s where a lot of your money will come from.

Pay: minimum wage + tips

Hours: flexible

Compromise: Kitchens and customers can be stressful

Perks: Employee discount on awesome food |Cool atmosphere |The chance to meet Guy Fieri

Qualifications: Charisma | The ability to handle the pace of the kitchen and stuck-up customers | Don’t forget things!

Costco (What?!)

I know it’s weird that this is the only one that is specific on the list, but if you live next to a Costco, then you are luh-cky. Costco is known for their generous salaries and lots of benefits they give to their employees. Cashiers at Costco get paid around $17 an hour, opposed to doing the same job for minimum wage at Wal-Mart. So if you were thinking about getting a job at Wal-Mart or Target, you may want to reconsider. That is a huge hunk of cash for a teen in need of a job.

Pay: $11-17

Hours: roughly 3-6 – flexible

Compromise: You’re still just a cashier

Perks: You’re a cashier who gets paid way above minimum wage | Tons of benefits

Qualifications: High school diploma preferred | Experience as a cashier preferred | Charisma | Ability to answer questions about the store

Internet (The sun! It BURNS!):

If you figure jobs that involve people aren’t your thing, then here’s an idea for you. There are countless job opportunities on the internet that range from creating your very own website to paid-polls. Some of the more practical internet jobs though, are graphic design and article writing. Many websites will pay other people to come up with their logos, sometimes even their entire webpage! The same goes for writing articles for websites. A lot of them just want someone else to do it! If you can get credibility and a good portfolio from these things, then this could possibly turn into a career. You do have to watch yourself if you get a job like this though, that you don’t start to become lazy in the lack of schedule, and keep the art/articles coming and keep up with clients. If you can do that, there’s definitely some money involved here.  However, if you feel you’re not really that great at either of those things, then you can take some of the paid-polls, but in that case, you would still need to get a real job.

Pay: roughly $50-80 a day

Hours: However long it takes you to draw/write something and find clients

Compromise: You can become lazy as it’s a pretty relaxed job

Perks: There’s not really any schedule involved

Qualifications: Creativity | Good artwork/articles | Stick-to-itiveness | Basic knowledge of HTML

There you have it!

A list of some different (better) jobs than what your friends have.