First, make sure you are familiar with the labor laws for child workers from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.  You can download the reference guide and read all of the jobs laws here.  It is absolutely critical that you know the rules and make sure that you (or your son or daughter if you are a parent reading this article) understand the restrictions that apply to 14 and 15 year olds who are working outside of the home.  There are both federal laws, and New Jersey specific laws for employment in these United States.

A few highlights from the document, which may answer some of your key questions, though make sure to check with the NJ DOL for the most up to date rules, as this site may not have been updated to reflect the latest labor laws.:

How Many Hours Can 14 Year Olds Work In NJ?

• You may work up to 18 hours a week during a school week, and 40 hours per week if there is not school that work.  You cannot work before 7:00am or after 7:00pm

How Much Money Can 14 Year Olds Make?

• There is no cap on how much money you can make, but like all workers you are subject to minimum wages, which at that time of this writing (early 2013) is $7.25 an hour in New Jersey.  Certain jobs are not subject to minimum wage, check the guide for more details.

There are also many, many restrictions on the type of work you can do, and almost no machinery can be operated while working.

Here are some does and don’ts for teenagers when thinking about what the wear for that pivotal job interview.

Don’t: Wear what you would normally wear to school

Do: Dress appropriately for the working environment.  Are you going to be a greeter at a local bank?  Then a shirt and tie for men or a blouse or dress slacks for women is appropriate.  Are you going to be working at a local, healthy, fast food restaurant?  Nice, clean jeans and a tucked in polo shirt (in DARK colors so it does not show food spills! Standard rookie mistake) should do just fine.

Don’t: Wear athletic shoes or trainers, especially not untied.

Do: Wear black or brown dress shoes that match whatever belt you are wearing.  They don’t need to be extremely nice dress shoes, but at Nordstrom Rack or Zappos other type places you can find decent, rubber soled dress shoes on sale for under $40, and they should last you through high school dances as well.

OH AND NEVER WEAR FLIP FLOPS OR OTHER OPEN TOED SHOES (MEN).  Women, if in nice high heels, can get away with open toe, but it is not recommended, as it will likely look a bit showy on teenagers.

Don’t: Leave your shirt untucked

Do: TUCK IN YOUR SHIRT!  This is one of the most simple ways to dress up whatever you’re wearing, not look sloppy, and be respectful to whomever is considering paying you money.

Don’t: Show off your piercings

Do: Remove those, which can be removed.  If you have facial piercings besides your ears, you should remove them for the interview (if you can) and let the person interviewing you know that you would like to wear understated jewelry there if possible.  Asking is a great way to show you are respectful.

• How much free time do you have after school and on the weekends?
• Are your grades where they should be?  If not, what is hindering you from success (is it time spent doing homework)
• Are you over 16 with a drivers license, or will your parents or older siblings need to drive you to work every day?

After you have thought through the answers to these questions (number one should be: enough to work for at least 5-10 hrs per week, number two should be ‘my grades are excellent’ and number three should be ‘yes’ to either the former or the later), you can start thinking about what type of job you want to work in.  Here are some great after school jobs for students:

1. Waiting tables, particularly at a restaurant that is not open too late
2. Delivering Pizzas, if you can drive and have reliable transportation
3. Bagging groceries, not the most ‘sexy’ of jobs but definitely good, dependable work for 14 or 15 year olds depending on the grocery store rules.

If you are a student looking for good work during the summer, here are some great options.  Before getting a full time summer job though, remember that sports camps, adventure camps, and even summer courses at a community college can be a really excellent way to spend time if you do not need the cash from full time work

1. Work as a lifeguard.  Interesting in lifeguard training?  Checkout that site for lifeguard certification and other options.
2. Be a camp counselor.  While before I said it would be a good idea to go to camp, you can also work at a camp with younger students!  Find a list of summer camps here