If you ask a classmate why they decided to get a teen job, such as flipping burgers or slinging boba, they will likely mention a desire to make some spending money or fulfill a rite of passage. You almost certainly never hear a classmate say that they think it is their first step to being a multimillionaire. However, while typical part-time jobs for high schoolers might not seem like resume boosters, they can offer valuable life lessons as well as disposable income. Therefore, teens should be encouraged to get part-time jobs.
One such skill they obtain in the service industry is collaboration. “Having a job teaches teenagers… how to work well with others,” Career Coach Beryllynn Jeanpierre said. Forbes found that workers who collaborate well with their colleagues experience less fatigue and have better performance. Additionally, the ability to collaborate with others is something that job interviewers tend to look for in applicants. In other words, teens who learn to collaborate will not only have an easier time working their current jobs but will also have an easier time finding work in the future.
Additionally, WebMD says that the money teenagers earn from their jobs allows them to develop financial skills and a sense of independence. “It is good for people to experience making their own money and spending it early on in life,” Mrs. Jeanpierre said. A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau article hinted that it would be good to teach such skills to kids as young as five since a study found that people who had a savings account during childhood often accumulated more wealth as young adults than those who didn’t. “The younger you are when you start investing, the more money you will make later on,” freshman William Hsieh added.
Part-time jobs in high school also give teens a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, and connection. The National Institute of Health discovered that adolescents reported high levels of satisfaction with their jobs. Not only do they earn enough money to get their first taste of financial freedom, but they also get to experience an element of adult life and make friends while doing so. “I have done a job before… I had a pretty good time,” freshman Owen Lin said. In fact, some teens are so engaged with their jobs that they risk spending too much time working. However, if teens focus on the part-time aspect of the work–one pro move is to work in the summer when school is out–they can easily strike the right school/life/work balance. With nearly half of all Americans reporting that they know little about personal finance and a third saying that they have bad relationships with their coworkers, the benefits of taking on seemingly ho-hum service industry jobs early in life clearly outweigh the risks.
In conclusion, teens should be encouraged to get part-time jobs because they can gain a variety of useful skills that will set them up for success for the rest of their lives. They will be able to work well with their peers, learn how to manage their own money, learn responsibility, get a sense of accomplishment and feel more connected with others. Though the stereotypical teen job is unappealing, what with its relatively low pay and rather unglamorous conditions, it contains a world of benefits that are priceless.
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