Image by Paul L McCord Jr via Flickr

I get asked "What company will hire me?" often quickly followed by "I'm 14 and no one will hire me. I need a real job."

This is actually 2 questions -

1. What jobs can I legally do?
2. What jobs will someone hire me to do?

This is Part 1 - and will only look at the first question.

Generations ago, a lot of jobs were done by children - dirty jobs, dangerous jobs...it didn't matter. Worldwide children as young as 5 might be working long hours: factory work, mining, agriculture, prostitution, quarrying, etc. As a society we decided that our children needed to be protected. The US (and other industrial countries) created laws about what jobs children could and could not do.

Today, which jobs a child can do (and at what age) depends on which state you live in. Most state have laws about anyone under 18 & work. Also, many states will require a work permit. You should be able to get all the information you need from your local high school or state employment office.

Some states have a list of what you can't do but I prefer this list from California which lists what you can do (in that state) -

Fourteen and fifteen-year-olds may be employed in the following occupations in the food service and retail industries:

• Office and clerical work, including the operation of office machines.
• Cashiering, selling, modeling, art work, work in advertising departments, window trimming, and comparative shopping.
• Price marking and tagging by hand or by machine, assembling orders, packing and shelving.
• Bagging and carrying out customers orders.
• Errand and delivery work by foot, bicycle, or public transportation.
• Cleanup work, including the use of vacuum cleaners and floor waxers, and maintenance of grounds, but not including the use of power-driven mowers or cutters.
• Kitchen work and other work involved in preparing and serving food and beverages, including the operation of machines and devices used in the performance of this work, including but not limited to, dishwashers, toasters, dumbwaiters, popcorn poppers, milkshake blenders, and coffee grinders.
• Cleaning vegetables and fruits, and wrapping, sealing, labeling, weighing, pricing, and stocking goods when performed in areas physically separate from areas where meat is prepared for sale and outside freezers or meat coolers.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas of the many options that are out there. Watch for the second part of this - "What jobs will someone hire me to do?" in a future post.