How to get a summer job at age 14?

What would I need to do to get a summer job at 14 in Los Angeles County, California?

• Me and 3 friends need summer jobs, we are all 14. In our location, what are the laws to getting a job at our age, how much can we get paid, and what forms would we need to fill out? Links would be appreciated :)

• Answer:

  Unfortunately, you may have a very tough time getting a job this summer. Most employers prefer to hire kids who are 16+, and even so, older teens will have a hard time getting jobs. Overqualified laid-off adults with families are taking the jobs that teens typically get during the summer. The job market is really bad now in LA. Most of the kids I know who have summer jobs lined up got them due to connections (family friend owns business, etc), and the 14/15 year olds are being junior camp counselors, which is a volunteer job (no pay), but when they're 16 they can become paid camp counselors. So with that in mind, when you're looking for a job, just keep putting in applications and don't give up or feel down because it will likely take a lot of work to find a job. The best thing you can do is to speak the counselor at your school. Often they will know about jobs that you wouldn't be able to get yourself. Other than that, find out where kids your age work from your school and nearby schools and go apply at those businesses. Here is info about work permits. Your school can make their own rules, like you must have a certain gpa for them to allow you to have a work permit, so speak to the counselor at school to find out all the details. Work Permit FAQ: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/we/wpfaq.asp Allowable work hours by age: http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/guidance/workpermit.htm Good luck!