By Sophia Doan
Scrolling for hours on Indeed posts and website job listings, I began to look for job opportunities the moment I could legally work. Leaving behind days of lemonade stands and washing cars, I got my first job at an unlikely place: a staffing and catering company. Working random events—dinosaur expositions, country concerts, backyard celebrations of life—I began to find myself in unknown, unexpected situations. Throughout my high school years, I worked at a variety of places: a restaurant, a pumpkin patch, an acai bowl place. Devoting my time to hours of following random closing protocols, dealing with impatient customers, and stocking products began to teach me so much more than how to run a restaurant.
Having a part-time job in high school fosters the development of financial skills, independence, social skills, and responsibility. Learning at an early age the value of a dollar, the work that goes into earning money, teaches invaluable financial skills. By earning one’s own money in high school, lifelong lessons are taught. Second, having a job in high school teaches accountability and responsibility in a way that school cannot. Missing a shift or failing to perform the duties of a job have real consequences: loss of pay, trust, or the position.
One of the most valuable takeaways from working is the unexpected social connections that come from working with people whom high schoolers typically wouldn’t interact with. Listening to coworkers work through their divorces and deal with issues such as family problems taught me about the differences in the social stages of life, helping ground me from random high school drama. Exposure to differences in life stages grants perspective and wisdom. Learning how to communicate with different people remains an essential skill for navigating the world.
While not every part-time job is ideal for a high school student, and frustrations such as hard working hours, lack of time, or difficult managers may arise, the invaluable lessons that come with working prepare teenagers for the rest of their lives.