All In A Day's Work For Teens

Apart-time job helps cover costs and provides valuable financial lessons

- Susan Hely

The teenage years are full of mile-stones that come with a hefty price tag. From managing their mobile phone plan to driving lessons to outfits for school formals to schoolies to university fees, there are plenty of big expenses on the teenage radar.

Of course, one way to help fund their increasingly busy social life is to encourage them to get a part-time job and save. Two in five Australian parents say their 14- to 18-year-old kids have a paid job outside the home and nearly half of them started working before they turned 16, according to a survey carried out for the Financial Planning Association (FPA).

I do recommend a part-time job for teenagers. Often getting a foot in the door for part-time work is harder than it sounds. Employers typically don’t employ young people without experience. There are some exceptions, such as McDonald's, which takes on young people from 14 to 16 with the consent of their parents or guardians.