By: Thea Berg and Rose Ramadan

As students in high school getting ready for college, we face many challenges and choices during this time of our lives. Getting good grades, participating in activities, impressing those around us; all examples of only part of the anxiety us students receive.

As we become young adults, as well, it is important for us to learn how to become successful. Part of success is learning how to work in an environment with other people and make money for ourselves to spend on future necessities.

Tying this all together, we will cover job opportunities for those looking for money and a strong learning environment. The jobs below are all located in Minnesota and are specifically for teens.

A Day Camp Counselor at the YMCA is a great way to start a job this summer. Learning to connect with younger children involves much training and social skills and is a great way to learn about patience. They are hiring for $15 an hour this summer as a temporary job. Work days are Monday through Friday.

Another amazing job opportunity would be a Nursing Assistant that includes classes that train. This would look great for anyone who is looking into a medical career job in the future. It is a part-time job with an estimated $29k-37k per year.

A job that may be interesting to work would be a Stand Attendant at Target field. It would be a great opportunity to interact with all types of people as well as learn leadership skills. It is a seasonal job. The starting rate is $15 an hour. Weekend availability is highly praised.

On the note of more of a fun job, there are many job openings at Dogtopia, a doggy daycare. They are looking for attendants who would interact with the dogs, teammates, and customers. This involves many leadership skills as well as social skills. It is a week job, Monday through Friday. The starting rate is $14 an hour. This summer, it is available as a full time position for those looking to make a good amount of money.

Lifeguarding is also a great opportunity that many teens in the 15-and -up age range can enjoy. Around the Highland-St. Paul area there are many different pools that need lifeguarding such as the Highland Pool, the Como Pool, and at swim schools such as Foss. Before becoming a full lifeguard there is a training that you need to do. After the training you can work as a lifeguard or teach swim lessons, or water aerobics.

You could also work as a Teen Specialist at the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities. Some qualifications of this job would be a positive, energetic person who is passionate about discussing the Teen Pathways Program in schools and working with young people. This job requires a lot of working with children and interacting with other people.

Other jobs that you can easily find and start on your own are nannying or babysitting jobs. A lot of families do require you to be CPR certified before becoming their nanny or babysitter, but other than that you can find an employer through family friends or looking online for those in need of a sitter. There are many websites that you can also enroll in to be shown on so families can easily contact you for a sitter, or you can easily contact families to seek out if they need a sitter.

In the end, the jobs above are highly recommended and easy to get for teens. Most are hiring this May which is a great start to the summer for anyone looking to get a job soon.