A monthly online magazine chock-full of insightful articles for busy mothers.

by Rachel Thebault

Author of Sweet Chic: Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion

In February of this year, I celebrated my 7th anniversary of leaving the corporate world to pursue a lifelong dream of opening a bakery. Having spent the prior seven years as an investment banker, I realized that now I can compare my two careers, to use an investment banker cliché, on a “apples to apples” basis.

On the one hand, I’ve made a lot less money in these last seven years than I did in my first seven. On the other hand, I haven’t worn a pantsuit since early 2004. Pantyhose either, for that matter. I’ve successfully avoided bailouts, mergers and layoffs, and I control my own destiny. But to control my own destiny, I’ve invested much of my life savings, not to mention time and sweat equity.

My day-to-day job is not glamorous. On any given day, it can involve washing dishes, paying and filing bills, scraping kids’ boogers off the bathroom wall, bussing tables, putting out figurative fires, patiently explaining to a customer why we can’t tint chocolate icing pink, and endless other headaches. Despite that, I love what I do for a living, and I am infinitely happier in life than if I believe I might’ve been had I not left.

I am living my childhood dream of owning my own business. To top that off, I make sweets all day and get to decorate cakes for a living — two things that constantly bring smiles to peoples’ faces. My daughters understand what I do and are proud of me. So I can confidently tell you that leaving a corporate job to turn your passion into a profession can be immensely fulfilling, as long as you don’t go about it haphazardly.

•Are You Realistic About What You’ll Gain? — One of the main reasons that people leave the corporate world is a desire to “be my own boss.” Being your own boss is highly overrated. I am by far the most demanding boss I’ve ever had. When you’re self-employed, you don’t get the luxury of checking out when you leave the office. Your work takes up some portion of your mind space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Your business, your customers’ experience and your employees’ livelihoods live and die on the decisions you make. That’s a lot of pressure, and you’ll make demands on yourself accordingly.

For example, I have friends who work at corporate jobs and complain about a meager 6-week maternity leave policy. That’s pretty skimpy, I agree. When my second daughter was born at the beginning of our busiest season of the year, I took four days off before I had to come back to work. Four days. I couldn’t blame it on an awful boss. It was my fault — poor planning, in the first place, coupled with bad hiring. My staff couldn’t function without me, and had I not come back so soon and spent many days that December working 12-16 hours, my business would’ve collapsed. You may not be answering to one person in particular, but that doesn’t mean you’re not answering to anyone.

Other major drivers for starting your own business can be money, quality of life, fame or expertise. All of these are good reasons to switch careers, but most of the time you won’t be able to achieve any of them overnight. Be realistic about how much time it will take to achieve your goals.

•Are You Ready to Start at the Bottom? — You may be extremely good at your hobby, but when people start paying you for it, you are subject to a new set of standards. Your age and experience in your first career won’t necessarily give you a head start in your new career. Be open to gaining experience through internships or apprenticeships, even if they are unpaid, and expect that many of your co-workers and even your bosses may be years younger than you.

If you use your maturity to your advantage determination and a willingness to succeed can help you move forward. At Tribeca Treats we have had interns of all ages ranging from teenagers to people into their 50′s. Regardless of age, they all start with the same level of tasks, and their ability to take on greater responsibilities is judged by demonstration of skill, a good attitude and reliability. Most often, older interns are more reliable and have a great attitude, but occasionally we have an intern whose attitude is clouded by a sense of entitlement or resentment at having to perform menial tasks. Don’t be one of those people.

•Do You Really Want Your Hobby to Become Your Job? — Hobbies are typically things you enjoy as a distraction from work — you can pick them up and put them down at will. So what happens when your hobby is work? Will it make you enjoy your work more or your hobby less? Chances are it will lead to a little bit of both.

Say cake decorating is your hobby. You love making cakes, and you make them all the time for your friends’ and family’s birthdays and special events — maybe once a week. Each time, everyone oohs and aahs and tells you “you should do this for a living.” It feels great; why shouldn’t you make money doing it? Well, fast forward and think about doing it for a living. You have to make 20 cakes a day to pay the bills, but then you have to hire people to help you make 20 cakes a day. Then you have to spend your time managing those new people you hired, and you have to try to build your business to 30 cakes a day to afford those new hires. You may enjoy your work more than your old job, but I’m guessing you’ll find a new hobby.

•Be Prepared for an Emotional Rollercoaster. — As with any job, there will be highs and lows. The more passionate you are about your job, the more personal those highs and lows get. When you pour your blood, sweat and tears into building your dream business, each accomplishment can put you on top of the world, but each criticism can be equally devastating.

Working for “the man” is definitely the safer route in life. For the thrill seekers among us, straying off on your own to pursue your dream can be incredibly rewarding, albeit challenging and scary at times. Just be prepared for what you’re getting into, and enjoy the ride.

© 2011 Rachel Thebault, author of Sweet Chic: Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion

Author Bio
Rachel Schifter Thebault, author of Sweet Chic: Stylish Treats to Dress Up for Any Occasion, is the founder of Tribeca Treats, and spent seven years as an investment banker before transforming her side hobby of making truffles for friends into a full-time career in confections. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, she opened Tribeca Treats in 2007. The bakery has won honors from American Express OPEN and entrepreneur organizations, and is a pillar of the Tribeca community. A sought-after speaker and panelist, she has also taught cooking and baking to children. She currently lives in Tribeca (and travels the globe) with her husband and their two daughters.

For more information please visit http://rachelthebault.com and Amazon.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

by Sandra Clair

So, summer is quickly approaching and school is about to set you free for a couple of months. While this is a great time to relax as you get away from the stress of school, it is also an excellent time to line your pocket with a few extra dollars with some of these awesome ideas for summer jobs for teenagers.

Babysitting

One of the most popular summer jobs for teenagers always has been babysitting – and for good reason. Parents find themselves in a pretty difficult position when their little ones are suddenly home all day rather than in school. Therefore, they are looking for someone responsible and reliable to take care of their tykes. That person can easily be you!

Yard Work

You can set your entrepreneurial spirit free by starting your own yard care business. Summer is a time when the yard demands a great deal of attention – from mowing, to weeding, to planting flowers, many homeowners are looking for someone to take over these chores for them. Just be sure to have the tools you need to get the job done. This is one of the more physically demanding summer jobs for teenagers, but the monetary rewards can be substantial if you do the job right.

Pool Maintenance

If you live in an area where everyone seems to have a pool, you can offer your services in this area as well. Most pool owners dread the work it takes to keep their pools clean and running smoothly during the summer. If you know what you are doing, this is one of those summer jobs for teenagers that can keep you quite busy throughout the summer.

Local Parks

If you love the outdoors, one of the best summer jobs for teenagers is working with the local, state, or national parks in the area. You might be able to work on the maintenance crew and be responsible for helping keep the park clean and functioning properly. Or, if you are really knowledgeable in a certain area, you might even get to lead tours.

Camp Counselor

Now that you are a teenager, the days of attending a summer camp can be replaced by being employed by the camp instead. Depending on the area in which you live, summer jobs for teenagers at camps can be quite abundant. And, adding this job to your resume can help you make quite an impact on future potential employers.

Clean Some Gutters

If you aren’t afraid of heights, another of the best summer jobs for teenagers is cleaning gutters. Many people don’t even think about this important chore, or they forget about taking care of it. A friendly reminder from you and an offer to get the job done might be all it takes to land yourself some clients.

Get Cooking

If you enjoy cooking or baking, you might also want to consider making homemade delicacies for people and bringing them to their workplace for lunch. Or, offer your services for catering a small function.

Get on the Net

There are many employment opportunities on the Internet for both the young and the old. For example, you might start a freelance writing business or a business designing web sites if you are skilled in either of these areas. Or, if you have an eye for spotting items that people would love to buy, you can try your hand at selling items on eBay.

Help at a Garden Center

There are a number of businesses that are in need of seasonal help. These are ideal summer jobs for teenagers since the employer only needs your help for a short period of time. Garden centers or even home improvement stores that house a garden center may be in need of someone to help maintain the plants and load people’s cars.

Let Your Creativity Shine

If you are the creative type, you might want to consider renting a booth at the local fairs during the summer. The summer is generally a very busy time of the year for these occasions. If you are capable of making handcrafted items that people adore, put your wares for sell at a number of different fairs and see how much money you can make!

Summer jobs for teenagers do not have to be restricted to working at a retail outlet or at a fast food restaurant. With a little imagination and persistence, you can easily find a number of fun and profitable ways to keep yourself busy over the summer.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/10-killer-ideas-for-summer-jobs-for-teenagers-118949.html

About the Author: If you’re a teenager looking for a job, Online Summer Jobs is for you. At OnlineSummerJobs.Com, you will have access to thousand of jobs everyday – absolutely free of charge! For more information, check out our summer job listings today!