I've always had a fairly easy time getting and remaining employed, so when this summer job prospects looked scarce, I found myself in a state of constant worry. How was I going to fund my various escapades across the city? The solution to my problems ultimately came in the form of freelance contract work. I had not experienced this particular caliber of work environment before, and unfortunately, I learned a very expensive lesson about the scarcity of freelance employment.

Thanks to one of my brothers, I was hired as a labor assistant at a flooring company for a large portion of the summer. I had never worked in the construction industry before, and the new experiences were not always the most fun or productive things I could have used the time for. Still, I was grateful for any employment and threw myself into learning new skills and embracing new lessons. I did enjoy the people I met while working but I wish I had realized a fact that would have saved me the current scramble I'm making now.

The thing that no one tells you about contract work, the "big but" if you will, is that even though the hours may work for you, the work may be relatively easy, you may love the paycheck, but no one can help all that once the work dries up. I had enjoyed a fruitful four to five weeks with the flooring company, collecting bigger paychecks than I had ever acquired from any job before. And then, one day, just like a door snapping shut, the work was gone.

My boss stopped contacting me for work and before I knew it he was explaining the decrease in jobs to me over the phone after my fourth consecutive day off. Unfortunately, this lesson cost me my paychecks, as I didn't save money as I should, thinking that the flow of money would be consistent. If I could give any teens working contract work advice, it would be to treat every day like it's your last day working. Every cent you make is precious so treat it like it is. It'll make the dry spells with no work that much better. Take my word for it.