Are you a 14-year-old in Illinois? Do you want your own business? Commercial banking has several entry level positions available with benefits. More than 1,000 banks are located throughout the state. Many specialize in specific types of banking like lending, savings & loans, and trust department service.
The state of Illinois does not have a minimum age requirement for workers. However, it does require that all minors have written permission from their parents or guardians to work.
Minors who are 14 years old can work in certain jobs in Illinois. For example, they can work as newspaper carriers, babysitters, and newspaper deliverers. Minors 14 years old and older can also sell newspapers on the street or door-to-door, but only if they receive approval from their local police department.
Minors are also allowed to work as lifeguards at public pools. They must be at least 15 years old for this job, though.
What jobs can you get at 14 in Illinois
Introduction
As a 14-year-old, you have quite a few job prospects. In Illinois, you can get hired as a cashier or a price marker at a store, or you can clean and maintain the store’s interior. You can do stocking jobs, like stocking shelves and displays with merchandise and helping customers at the register by bagging their items. You are also allowed to work as a grocery store clerk or messenger, as well as doing other jobs around the store like cleaning windows and furniture and unpacking new stock when it arrives. If you want to start your career early while making money in the process, there are plenty of opportunities for you!
Illinois law provides that an employer may hire a young person who is 14 or 15 years old for the following jobs (taken from the Young Workers website):
- Cashier
- Price marker
- Cleaning and simple maintaining of premises, equipment, and the like
- Stocking shelves and displays with merchandise
- Waiting on customers, checking out merchandise at cash register, bagging goods
- Merchandise store clerk and messenger
Cashier
As a cashier, you’ll be responsible for checking customers out, handling money and keeping the cash register organized. This job is best suited for someone who’s reliable, friendly with people and enjoys working with money.
If you’re interested in this career path, there are plenty of places to get started: grocery stores, gas stations and fast food restaurants all hire cashiers. You can also try applying at a bank or retail store like Target or Walmart—or even the movie theater!
Price marker
Price markers are responsible for pricing items and ensuring that the price is visible, correct, and consistent.
- Price markers ensure the accuracy of their prices by taking stock of shelf inventory, scanning barcodes or entering item numbers into a computer program.
- They manually price each item based on its type, size, weight and condition.
- If an item doesn’t have a tag attached to it or if it’s not properly labeled with its price, they’ll write down its name on a sticky note so they can find its price when they go back to look at it later on.
Cleaning and simple maintaining
Cleaning and simple maintaining is a job that requires little to no experience. It’s easy to get hired for cleaning, so if you’re looking for your first job this could be a great choice.
Cleaners are often asked to clean or maintain public buildings or structures (like offices) but they can also be found in homes and industrial facilities. The main skills required are the ability to follow directions and a good eye for detail, which means that if you have those two things then this might be right up your alley!
To learn more about getting started in this field, check out our article on what it takes: How To Become A Cleaner In Illinois?
Stocking shelves and displays with merchandise
Stocking shelves and displays with merchandise is a job that involves putting items on display shelves. This includes stocking the shelves, putting up displays, taking care of customers’ questions about merchandise or services provided by the store, and maintaining displays in accordance with company policies.
Waiting on customers, checking out merchandise at cash register, bagging goods
Waiting on customers, checking out merchandise at cash register, bagging goods
- Must be able to count change.
- Must be able to handle multiple tasks at once.
- Must be able to follow instructions from supervisors and co-workers.
- Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision; however, there is always a manager or supervisor nearby in case you need help.
- Must be able to work with customers; this job involves meeting their needs and making sure they are satisfied before leaving the store or business you’re in charge of serving them at (which could include restaurants/fast food chains).
Merchandise store clerk and messenger
There are a few entry-level jobs that you can get at 14. One is as a merchandise store clerk and messenger, which requires you to order and receive merchandise, keep records of stock, and process orders.
The second job is as a stock clerk or stock person. Other names for this job include:
- Stock boy/ girl
- Stockperson
Cleaning store windows, dusting and polishing furniture, taking inventory, sorting stock, unpacking stock when delivered, emptying trash cans
Cleaning store windows, dusting and polishing furniture, taking inventory, sorting stock, unpacking stock when delivered, emptying trash cans
This job is best suited to boys and girls who are athletic and physically fit. You will also need to be able to lift heavy items as well as work in a fast-paced environment. To be successful in this position you must be able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Cashing checks for customers at grocery store or drug store.
If you are 14 or 15 years old and have permission from your parents to work, you may be able to cash checks at a grocery store or drug store.
- You must be able to show the manager a valid ID when asked for it.
- You must know how to count money and change bills into coins.
There are plenty of ways a 14-year-old can make money.
There are many ways to make money at 14. You can do babysitting, lawn care, dog walking and even mow the lawn at a golf course. If you’re interested in getting a job at 14, your best bet is to contact local businesses and ask if they have any jobs available for kids your age. Most businesses like restaurants and entertainment centers offer minimum wage jobs early on in their hiring process but will not hire teens until they turn 16 (unless the teen has experience).
Conclusion
So, now you know the Illinois laws and have some ideas for jobs. Your next move? Find a 14-year-old job near you!
