If you ask almost any adult, they will reel off a list of jobs they had as a teenager, laughing at the same time. If you question them further they will tell you those jobs weren’t their favorite things to do but they had to start somewhere and they needed any job they could get.

Being young and having no experience means that you have to start at the bottom. Jobs for 16 year olds are sometimes going to be hard, sometimes dirty, usually tiring, and you will almost always wish you could be somewhere else doing something else. Having a job is always a shock to the system when you’ve never done anything like it before. Being a kid and being free to do whatever you want is always going to be more fun than that time when you get your first job.

This doesn’t mean that all jobs are awful or that you have to hate a job. You can enjoy it if you keep an upbeat spirit and try to be happy and make the best of your new work place. You will need to be ready and willing to work and come home tired. Having a job is a responsibility and it will be your first look into what it is like to be an adult.

You have to be ready to take most any job that you can get, even if you think you won’t like it. In this economy of 2012, there isn’t any room to be choosey. Remember, any job you get at age 16 is temporary so you know that you won’t have it forever. Give anything and everything a try because maybe you will find something that you like more than you think you will.

First jobs for 16 year olds are often in retail or fast food and that is where most kids start their search. It is now the beginning of November and that means those types of businesses are hiring for the holiday season. Start asking around and applying right now as this window of opportunity won’t last long. Even though Christmas is seven weeks away, store managers need to get their schedules and employees in place soon. This is the best time of the year to find a part time job because the Christmas shopping season is huge and every year stores are guaranteed to need workers.

Not all businesses hire teenagers so you have to be prepared to get turned down. Handling rejection in a job search is something that is difficult to learn but something that you will need to learn and deal with now and as an adult. Just keep plugging away and apply and inquire at as many places you can find. Kids often start at their local malls of course but also try to get your parents to drive you around (or you might be able to drive yourself) to other retail and restaurants businesses that are separate from the mall. The important thing is to hit as many as you can to give yourself the best chance.

What specific businesses hire teenagers? You can find a list of companies that hire 16 year olds that I put together by looking through Snagajob.com’s website. You might start your search with some of those companies and add to them if you are not successful.

If you look at this list closely, you will realize that any business that has cashier jobs, stocking jobs, busboy jobs, or jobs that service the general public might hire 16 year olds. Fast food restaurants are the leaders in jobs like those so any fast food establishments in your town or city could have jobs for you.

Listed below is a short list (I am sure there are many more) of companies that you probably have heard of that do hire sixteen year olds. I got this information from Snagajob.com by looking at every company to see what their age requirements were. If you are looking for a part time job now that school is about to start, any one of these would be a good place to start your search.

It is true that the economy and unemployment situation were admittedly much better when I was a teen so there were a lot more jobs out there. However, I don’t think that changes the fact that your parents have different connections than you do and they might be able to help you find work.

Summer is almost over and for anyone who never got hired it must be extremely frustrating. Looking for jobs for 16 year olds is the worst when every employer seems to want experience and you don’t have any because you are trying to find your first job! How can you ever get hired that first time? Ahh!

That is where your parents might come in. If you are lucky and have parents who care enough to help you, they might be able to ask their contacts and friends to see if they can find anyone who knows of some openings. If you get lucky, your Mom or Dad might be able to uncover a job opening that you would never have found yourself. You know how it works: they might know someone who knows someone who has something available that you can get hired for.

Going through your parents also does one other thing: it helps you with referrals. If your parents will vouch for you or know someone that can get you a job, you almost have an automatic “in”. That won’t necessarily mean that you will get the job but at least it will get you in the door for an interview or short meeting with a manager.

Don’t ever hesitate to ask your parents for help. That is what they are there for. They might not always know the answer or be able to help but you should ask them for assistance when you need it. Likewise, they might not be able to help you find a job but it doesn’t hurt to find out!

Most kids looking for jobs for 16 year olds have zero experience and are hoping to find their first job. Employers who do have jobs will most likely hire those that have the most qualifications and that leaves teenagers out in the cold.

The United States is in BIG financial trouble now and things may not change for several or more years. Things are really bleak and it is a scary time for everyone. Jobs are not something that are guaranteed: in other words, no one has a right to a job. Having a job is a privilege and something that should be appreciated when you finally get one.

Last month the unemployment rate for teens between 19 and 19 years old was reported to be upwards of 24%. That is a VERY high percentage and more than 10% higher than during the same time period last year. Lots of experts believe things will NOT get better for many years so this is not a temporary thing.

If you are a teenager now, the best advice is to work hard in school and learn. You may not be able to get a job this summer or next summer but you mustn’t let that hurt your attitude about your studies. Keep looking for a job but know that you are not the only one having trouble. Your education is the most important thing and your real job is to be a student and to learn: don’t forget that!

Unfortunately it is projected that the unemployment rate this summer for teenagers may be as high as 75%! That means three out of every four will NOT be able to find work. Among African American teens, the unemployment rate may be close to 90%.

This is a terrible time for everyone looking for work as the economy continues to stagnate and less Federal funding becomes available. Kids who are trying to find summer jobs for 16 year olds are most likely looking for their very first job so they might have zero job experience. They are in the worst position possible because right now, employers value experience more than anyone else. They have so many candidates to choose from for every job opening that they are naturally going to hire those that already have work experience.

Low unemployment like this is not only bad for teenagers who can’t find work but it also affects all of society. This is because teens need to get job experience so they can fit in with society later on. A teen job is a building block for later on when they need to fit in with society and become productive citizens.

Another serious problem with high teen unemployment is that without jobs, some will get in trouble with the law. Teenagers need school, a job, or some other organized activity to keep them busy because without it they have too much time on their hands. Statistics show that teen violence goes up with unemployment so all of society is affected by this.

The bottom line is that if you are a 16 year old and can’t find a job, you are not alone. This may be one of the worst times in recent memory to be looking for work and teenagers are in the worst spot because they have so little experience.

This shows need for you to get out there now and start looking. Remember, even though summer vacation might be more than a month away, businesses need to have their workers in place early. They don’t want to be hiring at the last minute so they are looking two to three months ahead in hopes to find qualified summer help.

Snagajob is the best place for teenagers of all ages to find companies that are hiring and jobs that are open. Even if you can’t find a job there it will at least help you get started and give you lots of ideas.

The important thing is to apply to as many businesses as possible and know that you will get rejected. There will be many places that don’t bother to call you back so you have to be prepared for that too. Just let it roll off your back and keep on applying!

Snagajob’s poll also reveals that 65% of the teens that hiring managers give jobs to this summer will be RETURNING workers. This shows how important it is for you to get that first job because once you do, you might be an automatic shoe-in for the same job next summer and the summer after that.

Getting your foot in the door the first time is the hardest so you should NEVER give up. Remember, everyone has trouble finding their first job so you are no different and will get one if you work at it and keep applying. Good luck!

One thing you mustn’t do is make the same mistake Gilbert Gottfried did on his Twitter account. Gilbert is a stand up comedian who has been in a few movies and currently he was the voice of the Aflac duck in commercials. I say “was” because he just got fired for making inappropriate jokes about the Japanese and the awful earthquake/tsunami/nuclear tragedy they are going through.

One thing you must do when you are looking for a job and once you get a job is to watch what you type/say on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and any other social media account you might have. Real adults are getting fired for what they say and so will you!

Why does it matter what you say and do on those accounts? Isn’t there free speech in America? What does it matter what you do on your own free time on your own accounts?

It matters because once you get a job you represent the employer you work for. While you are not working for them 24/7, you are their employee and they don’t want people working for them that say stupid things. They want you, as their employee, to conduct yourself in a responsible manner always.

You might think that your employer will ever read what you write but that is a chance you shouldn’t take. One of your friends (or enemies) might tell your boss and they could find out that way.

16 year olds are very used to communicating online and when you are responsible enough to go out job hunting, you should realize that you need to pull back on some of the things you do and say online. If you don’t, you could end up getting fired from that job you worked so hard to get or you might never get it at all just because of your online antics!

If you are 16 years old, the chances are that this summer will be your first experience looking for a job. You probably will have never had a “real” job and you might not know what to expect. After all, finding someone to hire you at Burger King, the bowling alley, or where ever is a lot different than the baby sitting jobs you have probably done.

Looking for jobs for 16 year olds is going to be a lot more difficult than you imagined. This is mainly because of the economy and the fact that there are more teenagers out there looking for jobs than there are people to hire them. Don’t think that just because you want a job and are willing to work that you have the right to get one.

Too many teenagers get fooled into thinking that because they want to work, adults will be impressed and want to hire them. It doesn’t work that way. In an economy like we have now and have had for the last two summers, there just aren’t enough jobs for all teens. And guess who is going to be the last to get hired: it will be all the younger teens and teens without any experience like you!

This is why you will need to get ready for your job hunt and start looking early before all the jobs are taken. You can hunt online at Snagajob for all the companies that hire 16 year olds and you can apply there as well. You can also go out looking around your city or town to see where you might like to work. It is not too early to stop in at a few places and ask whether they are going to be hiring this summer. The bottom line is to start thinking about this summer and the job you want to get right now. Start early and don’t miss out this year like so many did last year.

If you want further proof of how hard it is to find a job, take a look at this site for jobs for 17 year olds. If you go down to the bottom of the page you will see over 40 comments, most of them from kids complaining that they can’t find a job anywhere. You can also take a look at the poll that is right above the comments where over 3400 people have taken part and 97% of them say they can’t find a job anywhere!

So you better get started sooner than later!

But first you have to get that initial lifeguard certification which takes time and advanced planning. That is why you might start thinking about getting certified now before it is too late and summer arrives.

Many teenagers are obviously frustrated by not being able to find any real jobs out there. But a lifeguard job is a great summer job and it is one of the jobs for 16 year olds that are real that you can actually get if you are good swimmer and take the tests to get qualified.

To become a lifeguard, you need to pass tests and a course which takes between 30 and 37 hours to complete. How long yours will take will depend on what you are trying to get certified for.

Once you do get your lifeguard certification, it will be not be valid forever (usually 3 years) and you will then have to take re-certification courses to keep it updated. You may also have to take some first aid, CPR, and/or AED courses that may or may not be part of the lifeguard certification process.

Two good lifeguard websites to go to that will give you more information about the certification process and where to go to get it are The American Lifeguard Association and The American Red Cross Lifeguard Training.

Lifeguard Requirements:

There are 4 kinds of lifeguards that you can get certified for:

1) A regular lifeguard position that would be at a neighborhood pool.

2) A waterfront lifeguard position that would be available at places where there are parks with open water (but no surf)

3) A waterpark lifeguard

4) A shallow water attendant that is only allowed to work where the water is a maximum of 4 feet high.