Summer is when a lot of people get their first job. Camps, pools, parks, restaurants, stores and attractions all need extra help for a few months, and many of them hire people with no previous experience. The people who land the summer job they want usually have one thing in common: they started early.
Kinds of summer jobs to look for
- Camps: day camp counselor, activity or sports aide, kitchen and maintenance help.
- Pools and aquatics: lifeguard, swim instructor, front desk and snack bar.
- Parks and recreation: recreation aide, playground and sports program staff, park maintenance. Your city or county website is the place to look, and why parks and recreation jobs make good first jobs explains the range of roles.
- Attractions and entertainment: amusement parks, mini golf, movie theaters, zoos, museums and summer events often add seasonal staff.
- Food service: ice cream shops, snack stands, restaurants and cafes in busy summer areas.
- Retail and tourism: shops, hotels, visitor centers and other businesses that get busier in summer. Many stores also hire for the winter holidays; see holiday and seasonal retail jobs.
- Grounds and landscaping: outdoor work at golf courses, parks and landscaping companies. Young workers face limits on power equipment, described below.
- Summer youth employment programs: many cities and counties run programs that match young people with summer jobs. Try searching your city or county name plus “summer youth employment.”
You can search Fun First Jobs by keyword, like “camp” or “lifeguard,” and filter by job type to find seasonal openings near you.
When to start looking
Earlier than you might think. Some employers, especially camps and pools that need certified staff and pre-season training, start recruiting in winter or early spring. Others hire closer to opening day, and some keep hiring through the summer as people leave. There’s no single deadline, so a rough plan helps:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Winter | Decide what kinds of jobs you want, update your resume, line up references and sign up for any certification course you’ll need. |
| Early spring | Start applying, especially to camps, pools and parks programs. Keep a list of where you applied and when. |
| Late spring | Interview, follow up and handle paperwork, such as a work permit if your state requires one for your age. |
| Early summer | Attend any training, and keep checking listings. Openings still come up after the season starts. |
Certifications that can help
- Lifeguard certification from the American Red Cross or a similar organization is what lifeguard employers generally ask for, and state or local pool rules often require it. Federal child labor rules specifically require it for 15-year-olds: a certified 15-year-old may guard traditional swimming pools and most water park areas, such as wave pools and lazy rivers, but not the top of elevated slides or natural sites like beaches, lakes and rivers, which require being at least 16. States and employers may set a higher minimum age. How to become a lifeguard covers the training in more detail.
- CPR and first aid are useful for camp, childcare and recreation jobs, and some employers require them.
- Water safety or swim instructor certifications are needed for teaching lessons.
- Food handler training is required for many food service workers in some states and cities, usually within a set number of days after you start. Texas, California and Washington are examples, each with its own rules and exceptions. Your employer will tell you if you need it.
Certification classes can fill up before summer, so check dates early and ask employers whether they offer or pay for training.
Hours and rules for younger workers
If you’re under 18, child labor rules affect which summer jobs you can do and, if you’re 14 or 15, how much you can work.
- Ages 14 and 15: under federal rules, when school isn’t in session you can work up to 8 hours a day and up to 40 hours a week. From June 1 through Labor Day, work can go until 9 p.m. (the rest of the year it ends at 7 p.m.). Federal rules also limit the tasks you can do: for example, 14- and 15-year-olds can’t operate power-driven machinery other than office machines (that includes lawn mowers and golf carts), can’t do baking, and can cook only in limited ways (not over an open flame).
- Ages 16 and 17: federal law doesn’t limit hours, but you still can’t do jobs the Department of Labor has declared hazardous, such as operating forklifts, meat slicers or power saws.
- Your state may be stricter. When federal and state rules both apply, the stricter rule must be followed, and some states require a work permit for workers under 18.
- Farm work has its own rules. Federal rules for agricultural jobs are different from those for other jobs.
Check before you count on the hours. These are federal rules as of the date this article was last reviewed. See the U.S. Department of Labor’s YouthRules site and your state labor office for the rules that apply to you. This isn’t legal advice.
How to stand out
- Apply early and follow up once.
- Be clear about your dates. Say when you can start and when you need to stop for school or other plans. If you can work until the season ends, say so; employers that stay open late into the summer often need people then.
- Connect your experience to the job. Babysitting and youth group work matter for camps. Swim team matters for pools. Customer-facing volunteer work matters for food service and retail.
- Get certified before you apply when a job requires it, or say when your course is scheduled.
- Have references ready, like a coach, teacher or youth leader who can talk about how you work.
- Answer calls and emails quickly. Summer hiring can move fast, so check your voicemail and email (including the spam folder) while you’re applying, and be ready to interview on short notice.
New to resumes? See how to make a resume when you haven’t had a job yet. Getting called in? Here’s how to get ready for your first job interview.
Questions to ask before you accept
- What are the start and end dates, and are there days I’m expected to work, like holidays?
- How many hours a week, and what does the schedule look like?
- Is there training before the season starts, and is it paid?
- What is the pay, and how and when will I be paid?
- Do I need to buy anything, like a uniform or equipment?
- What happens on rainy days or days with dangerous heat, for outdoor jobs?
If the summer job doesn’t come together
Keep checking listings, because openings come up all summer. In the meantime, volunteering, a summer program or informal work like pet sitting or helping neighbors can give you experience and references for next time. And if you do land a summer job, do it well: a good reference from a summer employer can open the door to your next job, or to coming back next year.