Latest news with #teenentrepreneurs
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
4 ChatGPT Prompts Emerging Leaders Should Be Using In 2025
Using ChatGPT to help develop as an effective leader Whether you're a teen entrepreneur building your first business team or an educator stepping into department leadership, the desire to lead effectively is often stronger than the knowledge of how to do it well. The challenge? Most leadership development happens through expensive coaching, lengthy programs, or trial-and-error experiences that can be costly and time-consuming. Artificial intelligence offers a practical solution. When used strategically, ChatGPT becomes more than a chatbot—it transforms into a personal development coach that helps clarify thinking and strengthen decision-making skills. These four ChatGPT prompts help emerging leaders build self-awareness, navigate real-world challenges, and lead with greater confidence. Self-awareness distinguishes effective leaders from those who are not, yet most people lack training in productive self-reflection. This prompt positions ChatGPT as an executive coach, generating questions that dig beneath surface-level concerns. Rather than vague journaling, this approach creates structured reflection. The AI identifies patterns, such as perfectionism, fear of visibility, or unclear priorities, that may be limiting progress. How to maximize results: After answering the five questions, follow up with: "Can you summarize the mindset I seem to be operating from? What belief is driving my hesitation?" This moves the conversation from symptoms to root causes. A teen entrepreneur might discover they're avoiding reaching out to potential customers not because they lack time, but because they fear adults won't take them seriously. A teacher might realize they're hesitating to implement new classroom management strategies not because of workload, but because they're worried about appearing inexperienced to their colleagues. This awareness alone can shift behavior and open new opportunities. New leaders typically either over-function by attempting to control every detail or under-function by failing to establish clear expectations. This prompt provides a preview of common challenges and practical prevention strategies. Anticipating leadership challenges enables proactive decision-making rather than reactive crisis management. Understanding potential pitfalls helps new leaders develop strategies before problems emerge. Make it specific: Add context for better results. For example: "I'm a teen founder leading my first team of three classmates on our social media marketing business. What traps should I watch out for when my team members are also my friends?" Or: "I'm a first-year teacher managing parent volunteers for our school fundraiser. How do I maintain authority while staying collaborative?" Advanced application: Request scenarios: "Give me an example of what micromanaging versus clear leadership looks like in a group chat with teen team members." This transforms abstract concepts into concrete behaviors you can recognize and adjust. Many first-time teen leaders discover that setting clear expectations with friends-turned-teammates strengthens their business relationships. Teachers often find that being direct about volunteer responsibilities yields better outcomes than relying on people to figure things out on their own. Effective leaders adjust their approach to suit the situation. This prompt helps explore different leadership styles and consider how each might affect team dynamics and project outcomes. When a teen entrepreneur faces team members who aren't meeting deadlines for their custom sticker business, or when a teacher deals with students who seem disengaged during group projects, ChatGPT might suggest: Directive approach: Implement stricter deadlines with clear consequences. A teen might create formal check-in schedules with team members, while a teacher might establish daily progress reports for project groups. Coaching approach: Meet individually with team members to identify obstacles and realign on goals. This builds relationships and addresses root issues, but requires a more significant time investment. Visionary approach: Reconnect the team to the larger purpose behind their work. A teen entrepreneur might remind their team about the impact their business will have on their college applications, while a teacher might help students see how their project connects to real-world applications. Follow-up question: "Which of these approaches aligns most with my leadership style, and how can I combine elements of all three without confusing the team?" This framework helps young leaders move beyond their default style to consider what the specific situation requires. Teen entrepreneurs often discover they've been trying to be everyone's friend instead of a clear leader, while new teachers realize they've been defaulting to the coaching approach when some situations require more direct guidance. This prompt shifts perspective from uncertainty to clarity by using your existing leadership knowledge. Instead of asking, "What should I do?" it asks, "What would the best version of me already know to do?" Advanced variation: "Act like my future self three years from now—someone who has grown as a leader. What advice would they give me about this situation?" This temporal shift helps make decisions based on long-term principles rather than short-term fears. For deeper insight: Ask ChatGPT to explain why that version of you would act that way. This reveals the values and principles you're developing as a leader. A teen entrepreneur might use this prompt when deciding whether to fire a team member who is consistently late to virtual meetings, while a teacher might apply it when considering how to address a parent who is undermining classroom policies. The "future self" approach often reveals that effective leadership requires having difficult conversations rather than avoiding them. These ChatGPT prompts are most effective when used consistently rather than sporadically. Schedule weekly 15-minute sessions to work through one prompt, focusing on current leadership challenges. Save responses that provide valuable insights and track patterns over time. The goal isn't to replace experience or mentorship but to accelerate learning through structured reflection. Leadership develops through practice, feedback, and iteration—ChatGPT creates more opportunities for productive self-examination. While AI can provide valuable frameworks and perspectives, real leadership development happens through application. Use these prompts to clarify thinking, then test insights through actual leadership situations. Document what works and what doesn't. Share learnings with mentors or peer groups. The combination of AI-powered reflection and real-world practice creates a powerful development cycle that enables emerging leaders to build capabilities more quickly than traditional methods alone. Leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking better questions and acting on the insights. These ChatGPT prompts help accelerate that process, transforming everyday challenges into leadership development opportunities.
Forbes
25-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 Free Courses And Certificates That Give Teens Real Resume Advantages
Prove your skills by displaying your microcredentials and certificates on your resume The college application process has never been more competitive. With test-optional policies at many universities, admissions officers scrutinize extracurriculars, essays, and proven initiative more than ever. Teen applicants need ways to stand out beyond GPA and standardized test scores. Some teenagers are considering professional certifications and skill-building courses to differentiate themselves and build their resumes. These credentials signal initiative, career readiness, and practical abilities that traditional transcripts can't capture. Many high-impact courses are entirely free and designed for busy high school schedules. Traditional education teaches academic subjects but often misses career-ready skills like digital marketing, coding fundamentals, and professional communication that look great on a resume. A 2024 National Association of Colleges and Employers survey found that 89% of employers prioritize candidates with demonstrated technical skills alongside academic credentials. These certificates provide credibility for teen entrepreneurs, especially when launching businesses or pitching ideas to potential mentors and investors. Here are five free courses that build real-world capabilities while providing credentials and skills worth adding to college applications and resumes. Provider: GoogleTime Investment: 40 hours, self-pacedCertificate: Industry-recognized Google certification This comprehensive course covers search engine optimization, social media marketing, email campaigns, and analytics. Students learn through interactive modules, real-world case studies, and hands-on exercises using actual marketing tools. The curriculum addresses skills immediately applicable to any business or personal project. Teens running social media accounts, promoting school events, or launching small ventures can immediately implement these strategies. Google's brand recognition makes this certificate particularly valuable. The course also provides a foundation for more advanced marketing certifications later in college or career development. Provider: Harvard University via edXTime Investment: 11 weeks (10-20 hours weekly)Certificate: Optional paid certificate, but completion alone is impressive This CS50x course teaches computational thinking through C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript programming languages. Students complete weekly problem sets, labs, and a final project demonstrating their skills. This course stands out for its rigor and reputation. The problem-solving approach translates to any field requiring analytical thinking. Even without purchasing the certificate, listing "Harvard CS50x (Completed)" on applications or your resume demonstrates intellectual curiosity and persistence. Teens can use their final projects as talking points in college interviews or internship applications. Provider: IBM SkillsBuildTime Investment: 12 hoursCertificate: Digital badge and completion certificate Artificial intelligence impacts every industry, yet most high school curricula don't address it. IBM's course introduces machine learning concepts, AI applications in healthcare and business, and ethical considerations around automated systems. The short time commitment makes this accessible for busy students. Students gain conversational knowledge about AI trends, helping them engage in informed discussions about technology's role in their intended field of study. The digital badge system allows students to showcase specific competencies on LinkedIn profiles, digital portfolios, and resumes, which is increasingly essential for college-bound students building their online presence. Provider: UPennTime Investment: 5 weeks, self-pacedCertificate: Fee for certified certificate (free audit option available) This English for Career Development course is designed for non-native English speakers. Professional communication skills often determine career success, yet many students enter college without knowing how to write effective cover letters, craft compelling personal statements, or interview confidently. This course addresses those gaps through practical exercises. Students write actual resumes, practice interview responses, and learn networking strategies. The content applies immediately to college applications, scholarship essays, and summer job searches. The University of Pennsylvania brand adds prestige, while the practical nature of assignments creates tangible outputs that students can use on their resume and in their college application process. Provider: MITTime Investment: 6 months (starting in June)Certificate: Yes – program completion and participation One of the most prestigious STEM programs for junior high school students, MITES Semester is a two-phase experience. The first half includes challenging online courses and hands-on STEM projects in astrophysics, computational biology, and robotics. The second phase focuses on college preparation, offering mock interviews, essay reviews, and one-on-one mentoring. The experience culminates in an in-person conference at MIT, where you'll attend a college fair, meet STEM professionals, and present your work. It's highly competitive—but completely free—and a game-changing addition to any college-bound teen's resume. Simply completing courses won't guarantee admission or employment success. Students should connect their new skills to real applications whenever possible. Create social media campaigns for school clubs using Google's marketing principles. Build a simple website using CS50x programming concepts. Write professional emails to potential internship supervisors using UPenn's communication strategies. Keep track of what you accomplish along the way. Take screenshots when you finish modules, save copies of final projects, and build a simple spreadsheet or doc listing each course, when you completed it, and what you got out of it. Set up a folder—on your computer or in the cloud—for storing certificates, project files, and quick reflections. Don't wait until senior year to try to remember everything. When it's time to create your resume, write essays, or prep for interviews, these notes will jog your memory and help you speak clearly about what you've done. The challenges you worked through and the skills you picked up can become powerful, specific stories that set you apart. The best way to make these certificates stand out is by connecting them to your real interests. If you care about the environment, you might use what you learn in a digital marketing course to design a campaign promoting your school's recycling program. That kind of follow-through shows not just that you took a course, but that you applied it with purpose. College admissions officers consistently report valuing students who show initiative beyond required coursework. These free certifications signal precisely that quality—a teenager willing to invest personal time in skill development without external requirements or grade incentives. The key is starting now rather than waiting for someday. Each completed course builds your resume, momentum, and confidence while adding concrete credentials to your growing professional profile. In an increasingly competitive academic environment, these small advantages can make meaningful differences in college admissions and early career opportunities.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Start Your $2,000/Month Side Job As A Teen
Teen entrepreneurs are transforming simple ideas into profitable side jobs that outperform traditional summer jobs. While the average teen summer worker earns $15.68 per hour, up 36% since 2019, ambitious high schoolers are creating businesses that generate $2,000 monthly while offering flexibility, higher profits, and valuable experience for college applications. This entrepreneurial trend is growing rapidly. According to recent surveys, 66% of teens aged 13-17 say they're likely to consider starting a business as adults. At WIT (Whatever It Takes), we have guided over 10,000 young entrepreneurs since 2009, watching them turn passion projects into profitable ventures. These early business experiences build skills that translate directly to future success—teens with entrepreneurial experience develop resilience, problem-solving abilities, and financial literacy that serve them throughout life. Starting a side hustle gives teens significant advantages over traditional employment. First, there's no income ceiling. While conventional jobs cap earning potential at hourly minimums, business ownership removes this limitation entirely. Many WIT students have transformed small investments of $100-200 into businesses generating thousands in revenue. Equally important is the scheduling flexibility. Traditional summer jobs lock teens into rigid 20-40 hour workweeks with little room for adjustment. Entrepreneurship eliminates this constraint, allowing teens to design work schedules that complement rather than compete with academics, sports, and other priorities. College admissions officers increasingly value entrepreneurial experience. A teen who can articulate how they identified an opportunity, navigated challenges, and created something valuable stands apart in competitive admissions. Julia Howe exemplifies this potential. She created the Hitting The Wall podcast, which is focused on teenage female athletes and addresses mental health struggles and societal pressures young women face in sports. Her experience developing the podcast, reaching out to guests, coordinating community events, organizing paid partnership deals, and managing social media has built a platform that helps others and strengthens her college applications through demonstrating leadership and initiative. Most small businesses know they need social media content but lack the time or skills to create it. Teens with digital fluency can effectively fill this gap. To start, build a simple portfolio showcasing your video editing or graphic design skills. Select a specific niche—coffee shops, boutiques, fitness studios—and approach businesses with a concrete offer: "I'll create eight short-form videos for your social media for $300-400." Your competitive edge? Offer to handle everything: filming, editing, adding trending music, and writing captions. This comprehensive service appeals to busy business owners who know social media matters but don't have time to learn the platforms. Path to $2,000: Landing five to seven clients monthly at $300-400 each gets you to your target. This side job's scalable nature makes it particularly attractive—you can manage multiple clients simultaneously as your efficiency improves. Academic support remains in high demand year-round, and parents are willing to pay premium rates for quality assistance. Rather than generic tutoring, focus on specific needs: SAT/ACT prep, coding instruction, essay writing support, or math skill development. Specialization justifies higher rates and attracts more motivated clients. Create a simple website highlighting your qualifications, subjects, and hourly rate, then distribute your information to neighborhood families and local parent groups on social media. Path to $2,000: Charging $30-50 hourly and securing 10-15 weekly tutoring hours puts this goal within reach. The advantage of a tutoring side job is minimal overhead—just transportation costs and possibly workbooks or online resources. This translates to high profit margins, with almost all revenue becoming profit. Selling handmade or personalized products can be financially rewarding and artistically fulfilling for creative teens. Choose one specific product type—custom tumblers, digital illustrations, handmade jewelry, or personalized apparel. Initially, focus on quality and consistency rather than variety. Establish a dedicated Instagram account showcasing your process and finished products, and leverage local summer markets, craft fairs, and online platforms like Etsy or Depop to reach customers. Path to $2,000: Calculate your costs precisely. If each item costs $8 to produce and sells for $25, you must sell approximately 120 units monthly to reach $2,000. While this sounds substantial, focused production sessions and strategic marketing can make it achievable. Creating digital products offers exceptional scalability with minimal ongoing costs after initial development. Consider developing downloadable templates, study guides, printable artwork, or digital planners targeted at specific audiences. For example, one WIT student created custom study guides for AP courses, charging $75 per guide and focusing on five subjects she knew well. Path to $2,000: With minimal production costs, most of your sales become profit. Depending on complexity, pricing digital products between $15 and $80 means selling 25-135 units monthly. The key advantage is creating once and selling infinitely—your income isn't directly tied to your time investment after the initial creation. Service-based businesses like pet sitting, lawn care, or car detailing provide reliable income with low startup costs. Summer is peak travel season, creating high demand for pet care. Create a simple one-page business plan outlining services and rates. Advertise on neighborhood apps like Nextdoor and leverage family connections for initial clients. Charge $25-30 per day for dog walking (two 30-minute walks) and $50-75 daily for overnight pet sitting. Adding premium services like plant watering or daily photo updates can increase rates. Path to $2,000: Securing 5-6 regular dog walking clients (at $150/week each) plus weekend pet-sitting gigs ($300/weekend) puts $2,000 monthly within reach. The key advantage is the recurring nature of these services—once you prove reliable, clients tend to book repeatedly. Before launching any business, teen entrepreneurs should ask themselves these critical questions: What problem am I genuinely passionate about solving? The best teen side jobs start with real interests rather than what might impress college admissions officers. Genuine interest helps teens continue when challenges emerge—a critical skill since colleges increasingly value resilience and initiative in admissions decisions. What skills do I already have, and which ones will I need to develop? Young entrepreneurs often underestimate their existing talents. List your current abilities, then identify what you still need to learn. The entrepreneurial process itself teaches many necessary skills. How will this fit into my current commitments? To prevent burnout before launching your side job, create a realistic schedule with specific times for business work. Who can support and guide me through this process? Every entrepreneur needs advisors. Before starting, find potential mentors who can help navigate challenges. Organizations like WIT and entrepreneurship competitions connect teens with experienced business owners who offer valuable ideas. What does success look like to me, beyond money? Financial returns matter, but focusing only on profits often disappoints teen entrepreneurs. Define personal success measures that match your values, whether building leadership abilities, gaining confidence, or creating positive change. The difference between teens who talk about making $2,000 monthly and those who earn it comes down to execution. Here are the practical implementation steps that successful teen entrepreneurs consistently follow: Start with a minimal viable product (MVP) - Rather than perfecting your offering, launch a basic version quickly to test market response. For lawn care, start with just mowing before adding edging and landscaping. For content creation, offer a single-video package before developing comprehensive plans. Implement consistent marketing blocks - Dedicate 30-60 minutes daily to promoting your services. This might mean sending five direct messages to potential clients, posting on community boards, or creating content showcasing your work. Consistency matters more than duration. Develop systems immediately. From day one, create simple templates for client communication, scheduling, and payment tracking. These systems allow you to scale efficiently as demand grows. Use technology strategically - AI tools can help with everything from content creation to market research. ChatGPT can help draft professional emails, create social media captions, or develop pricing strategies. Tools like Canva simplify design work, while simple spreadsheets track finances and customer information. Schedule weekly implementation sessions - Set specific times to work on growth initiatives. Even 30 minutes twice weekly can drive substantial progress when focused on the right activities. Limited startup funds - Begin with service-based businesses requiring minimal investment, or use the "pre-sale" model where customers pay before you create products. One WIT student funded her custom apparel business by pre-selling designs before ordering materials. Parental concerns - Address worries by creating a simple business plan showing how you'll manage commitments. Outline safety measures for meeting clients and handling money. Involve parents as advisors where appropriate. Pricing confidence - Research competitors but avoid underpricing. Remember that reliability, quality, and personal service justify premium rates. Client acquisition - Start with your immediate network—family, friends, neighbors, and school connections. Ask satisfied customers for referrals and testimonials. Offer incentives for referrals that convert to paid clients. The entrepreneurial journey doesn't require perfect preparation or extensive funding. The most essential step is to begin with available resources and refine your approach through experience. By solving real problems, maintaining quality service, and building genuine customer relationships, teens (and even adults!) can transform simple ideas into profitable side jobs $2,000 monthly or more. The skills developed along the way—resilience, financial literacy, marketing, and problem-solving—provide lasting benefits beyond monetary gain, creating advantages in college admissions and future careers. The most important step isn't perfecting your business plan—it's taking that first action toward bringing your idea to life.
