One advantage of doing work online is being able to be paid while at home. Since most online work can easily be done during the younger person’s school schedule, transportation will not be an issue. This guide goes over how a 15 or 16-year-old can find legitimate jobs online and avoid being scammed.
What Online Work Is Available for Teens
Federal statutes set limits on the number of hours youth who are less than sixteen years old may work; however, these limitations mainly refer to traditional employment. Many youth employment options on the internet fall under various classifications, including freelance, encompassing non-employee, written creativity, and self-employment, which provide flexible working hour opportunities to youths.
It is typically beneficial when parents are involved. Some sites may have a minimum age requirement of 18 years old, so parents can create an account and help supervise their child’s online activity. However, some sites are specifically geared towards younger audiences. Knowing what the law and practical implications are will allow teens to find legitimate opportunities.
It is important to have realistic expectations when it comes to income as you continue to develop and grow as an individual. Most teenagers who work online will not earn large amounts of money, but rather will build skill sets through these jobs by gaining valuable experience that will allow them to pursue higher-paying positions in the future.
Freelance Writing and Content Creation
If teens have developed good writing skills, there are a lot of freelance writing opportunities available. For instance, blogs, product descriptions, and social media content require writers. There are platforms to sell your work online, such as Fiverr, that allow sellers as young as 13 years old with their parents’ permission in certain locations.
It takes a lot of time to develop a portfolio. Begin by generating samples of your work on either personal websites or in other types of publications, such as an academic institution’s publication. Once you have these pieces, they will be used as proof of your talent by potential clients. The quality of your work is considerably more significant than the quantity when you present these samples to potential buyers.
Here are content creation opportunities for teens:
- Blog post writing
- Social media content creation
- Video script writing
- Product reviews
- Email newsletter writing
- Editing and proofreading
There are many different ways in which one can be compensated for their services. A newbie writer could expect to get paid between $10 to $25 per simple blog post based on what they have produced; however, an experienced writer with experience, as well as expertise and/or niche areas of knowledge, will likely receive higher compensation than that. Regardless of what your compensation is presently, if you work hard to build yourself up and establish a good reputation through a freelancing platform, your compensation will increase as you progress through your writing career.
Starting a YouTube Channel or Blog
There is no age minimum to create an account on many of the various content platforms. You can create a YouTube account if you are at least 13 years of age. With the different blogging platforms like Medium or WordPress.com, it doesn’t cost anything to get started.
Monetization does not happen overnight. For YouTube, there are 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours that need to be achieved before ads can be placed on the channel; similarly, a blog must receive enough traffic to be able to monetize the content being posted on it. Most teenage creators will need to concentrate their efforts on expanding their audiences prior to receiving any financial gain from their work.
The skills that you will gain are useful now and will still be of value in the future. Skills gained through video editing, writing, and building an audience can be leveraged into many types of future opportunities. Even non-monetized channels will provide you with experience that can be helpful in the college admissions process and searching for jobs.
Online Tutoring
Older students can assist in tutoring younger pupils via the Internet. Tutoring offers comparatively greater financial rewards than most jobs available to teenagers. Tutoring, depending upon the subject taught and the tutoring platform, pays between $15.00 and $30.00 per hour. Both math and reading have a high volume of students needing tutoring assistance.
Certain platforms will only allow tutors who are teenagers to work for their service. Tutorly and StudyPool accept tutors from the age 15 if they have parental permission. The platform assists with finding students as well as processing payments. You will only need to teach.
Word of mouth can be an effective way to get independent tutoring clients. Many younger students in local areas may need assistance with their homework or other academic tasks. Parents tend to choose tutors who have a good rapport with their children; therefore, you should actively promote yourself to families and community groups.
Depending on the teacher’s association with the needs of each student and their learning objectives, all programs have different teacher requirements. Grades play an important role in determining if a teacher is qualified to be a tutor in their specific subjects. If you have experience taking the SAT/ACT, it is possible that it will help you prepare your students for these tests through tutoring. Having references from past or current teachers adds value to an applicant’s qualifications.
Social Media Management
Young adults frequently possess a stronger understanding of social media than older adult businesspeople. Because of this situation, there is a significant amount of potential with small companies seeking assistance in managing their Instagram, TikTok, and other social media accounts. Young adults can easily fill that role.
It takes hustle to find a client. Many business owners in your area might not know that they need assistance. You could go directly to the owner and make your recommendations. You can also provide them with examples of what quality looks like in your area.
Typical tasks include:
- Creating and scheduling posts
- Responding to comments and messages
- Researching hashtags and trends
- Creating simple graphics using Canva
- Tracking engagement metrics
Depending on your client and their needs, the rate you are charged can differ greatly. Smaller clients may only require basic management (which will cost them $100-$200 per month) while larger clients will typically require more content and therefore pay you at a higher rate. If you build up multiple clients, you will create a more consistent income.
Selling Products and Services Online
Any teenager can be an entrepreneur. They can sell products on Etsy, eBay, or create their own website to sell products. Types of products include handmade crafts, downloadable items, and reselling products.
Etsy can be great for artistic teens, as buyers can buy jewellery, art prints, digital planners, and other handmade products made by you. Your sales will incur a percentage taken out of your sale price by Etsy (i.e., their fee). You will have to work hard at marketing your shop, although you won’t be paying for any marketing!
Teenagers enjoy reselling because they can find good deals that other people are not aware of. Items in thrift stores and garage sales can often be resold on marketplaces like eBay for more money than paid. Every resell opportunity has an upfront cost, and knowledge of what will sell before being purchased. Young people should take advantage of small purchasing opportunities first before making larger purchases.
Providers of services do well using the skills of teens as graphic designers to create small business graphics; to teach music lessons via video chat; to provide personal shopping assistance (either in-person or virtually). Evaluate your strengths and interests and form an idea of possible providers.
Avoiding Scams
Not every online opportunity is a legitimate opportunity. Scammers look for young people because many of them don’t know much about work experience, and they will try to take advantage of that fact. Recognizing the warning signs will help keep you safe from these scams.
Jobs that require you to pay for a job in advance are usually scams and not real. A real employer doesn’t require you to pay to work for them. Jobs that involve sending out kits with supplies or packing/envelopes, etc., usually take your money and provide nothing in return.
There are serious concerns about quick cash when a job offers you the opportunity to earn hundreds of dollars a day without any skill or effort. A profitable job will require a reasonable amount of work for you to achieve, so adjust your expectations to see the truth.
Before submitting any personal data, check the company’s reputation. You can research the company name with the terms “scam” or “review.” You can check the Better Business Bureau rating. You may also want to talk to adults for their impressions of confusing employment offers.
Balancing Work and School
Working online provides versatility; however, it does require some self-control and finishing school first. Your grades carry greater weight than your short-term income. Be sure to set boundaries with your hours while you are in school.
When time management skills assist with your time management efforts, you can set aside time to work specifically on a task, rather than trying to fit it in around everything else. Be serious about completing things by a scheduled due date. Establishing patterns of reliability now will help to establish strong habits when you become an adult and join the job force.
Remaining involved as a parent helps you evaluate potential opportunities, support your child’s financial needs, and monitor their workload so that it does not interfere with their studies. Keeping the lines of communication open regarding earnings, work hours, and other challenges will improve the overall success of this type of arrangement.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor: Child labor laws and work hour restrictions (www.dol.gov)
- Federal Trade Commission: Information on avoiding job scams (www.ftc.gov)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Teen employment data (www.bls.gov)
- Platform policies: Fiverr, Etsy, YouTube terms of service for young users
