These days ambitious students have an alternative to the typical after-school job - start a virtual business. MSNBC discusses some success stories, including that of an 18-year old virtual architect...
Virtual Success
Teens bypass after-school jobs for virtual world businesses where the money earned and the skills learned are real.

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Designing a Future
Both Mike Mikula and Eric Lomeli began selling in-world wares within a week of joining Second Life and Entropia, respectively. Mikula, whose avatar is named Mike Denneny and who recently turned 18, started exploring Second Life two years ago when he discovered its teen area. He was intrigued by the in-world design capabilities that allowed him to expand his interest in graphic design by learning 3-D design skills without expensive software.

"I've designed [in-world] school buildings. I've designed stores, homes, furniture, clothing," says Mikula, who lives in Racine, Wisconsin, and will be a high school senior in the fall. "I've made simple scripts that allow showers to go off, doors to open, stuff like that. But I'm most known for my architecture."

His skills have garnered him large projects like building a virtual school for Skoolaborate, a global education project based in Australia. His work in Second Life has convinced him to change his future plans from electrical engineering to architecture, and he even has an offer to visit a leading architect in Australia.

During the school year, Mikula brought in $2,000 a month. His projections are a little off this summer as he had to move to the adult Second Life on his 18th birthday.

"When I started on the teen grid, I spent my first year just talking and meeting everyone. I learned how the successful people there worked, and then, eventually, I became one of the successful people," Mikula says.

Now that Mikula is on the main grid, he's restarted and needs to make new friends. Still, he estimates he can make $4,000 a month--without any investment other than his own time.

One thing he enjoys about his virtual business is the ability to make a difference.

"I can't be in a job where I can't progress and get better," Mikula says. "In Second Life, I can see how I can change things about myself to keep doing better and better, instead of just being stuck doing one thing."

Some of the things he has learned during his Second Life entrepreneurial endeavors are "customer service, strategies to be more effective for the business, how to make sure that you don't talk bad about any other business, no matter if they're really competitive with you."